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Bedrock celebrates 12 years with John Digweed and Carl Cox

Reported by Agnes Klos / Submitted 02-11-10 16:59

Not many artists are able to sell out a venue as grand as the world famous O2 Academy Brixton. But John Digweed with his legendary Bedrock record label, which celebrated 12 years at the forefront of the electronic scene on Saturday 2nd October, joined by a true techno legend Carl Cox, had no problems with filling the venue to the brim. With a supporting bill of around 25 DJs, the event was set to be an unforgettable anniversary show, incorporating an exclusive sound and visual experience - never seen at a Bedrock event before. HarderFaster had Agnes Klos there to take part in what could only be described as the next chapter in Bedrock's illustrious history.



For all those clubbers who had attended Bedrock events before, the night on 2nd October must have had a very special place in their clubbing diary. Looking at people’s faces around me in the extremely crowded Brixton Academy, I was convinced that memories from the good old days were brought back to the dancefloor. The roots of Bedrock go way back to the infamous arches of Heaven club where the first event took place in 1998. Shortly afterwards it was followed by monthly parties which stand as a testimony of the phenomenon Bedrock is today. The label is renowned for the quality progressive sound but has also cemented its reputation as the provider of the latest and the freshest sounds in the electro, tech and breakbeats.

Having sold out Heaven, matter and their own tent at SW4 for previous parties, the acclaimed Bedrock imprint boasts a legacy of its own. John Digweed admitted in one of his interviews that he started Bedrock (the club) basically to get more gigs for himself. The other person who made the label alive was Nick Muir who together with Digweed use the Bedrock name nowadays as their production moniker. Bedrock Records have many releases from artists such as Astro & Glyde, Brancaccio & Aisher, Steve Lawler, Shmuel Flash, Steve Porter, Guy J, and Jerry Bonham. For party-goers Digweed’s globally acclaimed club night equals stomping unforgettable fun, whereas for artists the reputed label equals the launch and subsequently development of their career, to name a few: Danny Howells, Jimmy Van M, Chris Fortier and Guy Gerber.



Taking to the decks for the final time in the UK for 2010, John Digweed graced the main room of Brixton Academy twice that evening. Kicking off the 12th anniversary of Bedrock at 10pm, he flooded the dancefloor with his progressive sound, slowly building up his set with more upbeat tunes closer to midnight. It provided a perfect warm-up for the next DJ who is undeniably one of the biggest names in dance music: Carl Cox.

The best way to describe such a legend is by this quote: “A musical ambassador since he was in short trousers, a professional DJ since his early teens, a veteran of acid house and a champion of techno, Carl Cox emits a love of his work that is dangerously infectious” (official website of Carl Cox). Starting off as a mobile DJ at the age of 15, by the early 80s Carl moved to playing rare groove, New York hip-hop and electro. As the founder of the sound, Carl Cox rode the exploding British rave scene at that time. He played the opening night of Danny Rampling’s legendary Shoom, co-promoted The Project with Paul Oakenfold and gained his personal reputation as a three-deck wizard.



Last time when I saw Carl Cox was at this years SW4 when he rocked the Carl Cox and Friends tent on Sunday evening. I also had the pleasure of seeing him from up-close behind the turntables at Heaven club a few years ago. I was lucky enough to be backstage and admire his truly spectacular technical skills from the distance of just a few feet. At that point I understood why he was (and still is) shouted as one of the best DJs in the world. But you don't need to be that close to him to grasp the idea what ‘the king’ is about. At Brixton Academy the event was in the full swing as soon as Carl Cox took control over the decks.

It was a real pleasure to be able to enjoy his unbeatable presence. With his head bobbing up and down to the beat, his visible enjoyment of the moment and his encouragement to the audience over the mike, Carl Cox is more than a DJ, he is a musical champion of the 21st century. For the last two years he has been working on his new album called ‘All Roads Lead to the Dance Floor’, which will see a conscious change of his musical direction from a ‘home listening’ vibe (his last three albums) to kicking ‘dancefloor records’. As Carl revealed in his interview for Lock’n’Load events, the host of Bedrock 12, he secretly dropped some of his new tracks on us at Brixton Academy that very night.



"I've got a lot of new music to play and a lot of music from my new album so I'll be dropping some exclusives. I'll be dipping into some of the Bedrock classics as well and showing support for John's music and releases. So (expect) a lot of fireworks, a lot of energy, a lot of sound and a lot of performance from me!

“I've known John for many years and he has always been a connoisseur of playing the right music. And for me to be able to join him at this momentous occasion is an absolute pleasure. John really is for me one of the stand-out DJs, he has an ear for detecting really really good house and techno. So for me to support him on this day is amazing. I really cannot wait to play alongside John”.

After Carl Cox 3-hour smashing performance John Digweed took to decks once again for the last three hours of the party. The long standing friendship of Cox and Digweed resulted in two sensational shows together at Space Ibiza this summer and Bedrock 12 in London was just another proof why their cooperation works. John proved why he still remains one of the world’s most pioneering DJ/Producers, dropping on the raving crowd such tunes as System 7 ‘Spacebird’ (Dubfire's unreleased mix), Alan Fitzpatrick ‘Involve’, Chilly Gonzales and Erol Alkan ‘Never Stop’ and Unkle ‘Follow Me Down’ (Fergies Excentric Muzik Mix).



One of the biggest underground house and techno showcases witnessed in the UK this year did not end up only in the main room of Brixton Academy. There were three more rooms to satisfy even the most demanding music palettes. The Foyer was hosted by Intec Digital imprint with the label friends, among others Marco Bailey, Jim Rivers, Adam Sheridan and Jon Rundell. Whenever I walked into the foyer I saw hands pumping the air while cutting-edge tech house and techno reverberated throughout the space. For more banging tunes, the foyer also presented performances from the Connected residents, the Connected Allstars and smashing David Bevan whose set included his own exclusive productions and edits, making it completely bespoke and individual.

Crooked and Supatronix joined their forces and took over the Circle Bar, headlined by Fingerlickin' Records' Drumattic Twins, displaying the most exciting and upfront in breaks. Other DJs on the bill included B-Roll, Honeycombe, Country Cockney, Reveal, The Real Tony Montana and Codec & Saxon. It was also worth checking out The VIP hosted by Subculture which showcased the best in deep and tech house with Paul Gibbins, Mark Mcgillycuddy, Ceri Cross, Grant Nichols and Sybian.



The only big problem with the event was the lack of good organisation. Events of such a magnitude obviously draw a big crowd but the venue didn't seem prepared for the numbers. Every single thing that evening was a time-wasting mission of at least half an hour. It was a real fun-spoiler, I have to admit. Whether I wanted to get a drink, leave my coat in the cloakroom, get to the smoking area (a huge queue the whole night long) or simply use the bathroom, I had to allow for the fact that I would lose no less than 30 minutes of the party. It was really upsetting and frustrating. Cloakroom and bars were visibly understaffed. A friend of mine who has been to Brixton Academy on multiple occasions and accompanied me for Bedrock 12 said: “I have never seen Brixton Academy that badly organised. It is really annoying that I have to lose so much time to do things which should take no more than 15 minutes.” Although she loves Carl Cox she left the venue before he even finished his set. Such a shame.



Photos courtesy of Agnes Klos. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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Other Features By Agnes Klos:
Back2Basics - 10 Years of Party Productions & Tomorrowland Stage Hosts
Atmosphere Records - The opening of IBIZA 1936
Entering the world of Waldfrieden in Germany with DJoanna
Piracy is not a crime – sail away with Feestgedruis!
Progressive flavours with DJ R'Deem ahead of Neelix party
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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