Ben Goode risks harming his soul on your behalf by going to check out Innersense at Arcadia.
Often after clubbing, in my quieter moments of deep introspection, I often start to ask myself some serious questions. One of them being: is it not a little unseemly to still be going to drum and bass club nights? After over a decade, the life of a hedonist increasingly seems to be feeling, behaving and dancing how I never want to behave, feel or dance ever again, in private – let alone in a public arena. I should stop. If not for the long term effects, then for the deep flaws that it chars into your very soul. Jaded? Me? Nooo. After all there is only so much you can say “It was good, at times it was magical, it was then very bad, then I fell asleep.” So I approached Arcadia with the objective outlook of a condemned man really weighing in the balance just exactly what he's gaining from the experience. And this is what happened:
A quick reconnaissance of Arcadia reveals that it's actually a wonderful venue. Spacious, with a sound system that (once turned up) does the job; a discombobulating fit-inducing house policy on strobe lights; a few rooms to explore; a positively delightful smoking section, sheltered by the arches and opening up to a wonderful panoramic view of the backside of the opposing street: it's all actually really rather wonderful.
The DJs on the night are excellent, although for my money MCs Liner and Rize, in their present incarnation, could ruin anybody's set, anywhere, any day of the week. They have the lyrical subtlety and flow of two very aggressive proverbial bulls hopped up on protein shakes and threatening to stab each other in staccato verse with your grandma’s China menagerie. I don’t know what that even means, it’s not important.
What I can say is that Hype, Hazard, Ray Keith, Bryan G alongside Harry Shotta, Eksman, MC Moose, B Kind, Deeza and Starz all kill it... as always. They turn Arcadia, and my auditory senses for that matter, into Smash Town. Nor is there any respite elsewhere. If anything Old Skool House Room lays the foundations for aforementioned town by warming up the vibes percentage with house classics and bass-driven mash-ups.
Reeling, I leave the following morning feeling and behaving as I never want to do again. But then again that’s what I said last time. Innersense is back, like it ever went away, and for now it’s Zen-like and harmonious until someone shows me the YouTube video of “man dancing like preening ballerina in a dank dark den”. Hello introspection my old friend. I see you’re here again.
Click here to see all London DJ music.
Click here for things to do in London.
Return to Spoonfed's London Clubbing homepage.
Add an event
Frieze Art Fair to launch new section for young galleries in 2012
Frieze have today announced details for the 2012 edition, their tenth art fair in London. Taking place...