Always Fridays at Egg

Always Fridays at Egg

20 February, 2009
by: Markspoonfed

What’s the point in having a venue as good as Egg if you’re going to plonk it in the barren hinterlands behind Kings Cross? Though I can appreciate the obvious benefits of having a club in a remote industrial zone, it can be a real drag getting there, especially if you leave it as late as we do tonight. By the time we are sat in the shuttle bus, my eyelids are heavy and I have little inclination to join in the moronic pre-party banter of the excitable clubbers riding with us. It’s like a really bad outtake from Human Traffic, and right now I couldn’t care less if the weekend has landed. I’ve clearly got the wrong attitude, and it’s going to take something quite special to rouse me from my lethargy.

Manoeuvring our way through a series of security controls, we descend upon the dancefloor to the sound of Californian-based DJ Worthy attempting to live up to his name. His choppy, restless house has its moments, but his set lacks focus and it feels like he’s trying to fit in too many ideas at once. This would appear to be the fidget house floor: invigorating yet ultimately unsatisfying, (and dare I say a bit annoying).

We are lured upstairs by the promise of something a bit meatier. Everyone seems pretty hyped about Linus Eklow aka Style of Eye, who comes with the recommendation of a Swedish Grammy nomination. His genre-straddling productions have gained a lot of attention in dance music circles, but tonight’s set is firmly rooted in the interzone between house and melodic techno. This guy has clearly got a finely-tuned sense of drama, milking the crowd for all it’s worth with a series of seemingly endless build-ups and well-timed drops. It’s all arpeggiated synths and supple, spiralling beats and it is absolutely awesome.

Next up is tech-house maestro Daniel Steinberg, resident of legendary Berlin club Tresor, and his sparse, techy sounds perfectly evoke the bleak nature of the German capital’s urban topography. There is a haunting, mesmeric quality inherent in his understated yet driving set - it makes me forget where I am for a minute. Then he drops Romanthony's ‘Let Me Show You Love' and the crowd goes mad for it - it is one of those epic dancefloor moments that remind me of why people go to clubs in the first place.

Unfortunately, my fatigue increases in direct proportion to the greatness of the music, and it is time to beat a retreat. Two amazing sets leave me perfectly primed for the arduous journey home. Now, if only I could find that elusive shuttle bus... 

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Markspoonfed