DMZ at Mass

DMZ at Mass

07 May, 2009
by: Mcdean

However holy the converted church now called Mass may have been in the past, the sheer number of stairs you have to climb to reach the main room verges on the satanic. The cloakroom at the very top is no doubt sub-let from Rapunzel. Walking down the main stairwell at DMZ is, in a venue renowned for the power of its bass, a little like descending into the bowels of a weird spaceship while an enemy galaxy attacks you with some kind of sonic weapon. It's immense, and huge bass frequencies thunder down through you like angry gods showing their fury that you're not by the stage, skanking like you should be.

DMZ is pretty much the definitive London dubstep night. Set up and promoted by Digital Mystikz Mala and Coki with Loefah and Sgt. Pokes, it's the sub-bass beating-heart of the dubstep scene. If you made it up the stairs, you'll emerge into a room full of people here for just one thing – rib crushing sub-bass and the sheer visceral weight of this primal sound, wading about and dancing in a sonic dub vortex. In particular, tonight they're here to see a three hour set by Digital Mystikz vs Loefah and the overwhelming Dutch producer Martyn. On top of that, Jack Sparrow, Chef, and Juan Basshead are on the bill.

One thing that really strikes you at DMZ is just how well Digital Mystikz, Loefah and Sgt Pokes work together as a group. The vibe that spills into the crowd from their camaraderie, presence and focus is infectious, and gives DMZ a real atmosphere of inclusion and collaboration. A deep love of not just dubstep, but music and creativity in general is palpable here. Chatting to people outside, one lesser-known producer was saying 'this night is the best if you're working on being a producer. Everyone is so open and accessible - you can chat to Mala, you can chat to Loefah, and they're happy to chat about what they love.' Forget artists on pedestals. Here it is very much about mutual creative respect and new ideas.

Jack Sparrow and Chef's performances are great, and receive a definite positive reaction. But they seem slightly dwarfed by what follows. When Martyn starts playing tunes it's like the crowd had suddenly been dosed with something, and people start going insane as a bigger, more engrossing sound floods the room. While ‘shall we go for a fag?' was a reasonable question before this point, now nobody wants to miss a thing. “I THINK THEY LIKE IT MARTYN” shouts Sgt Pokes midway through the set, and the crowd gave up another massive cheer at the enormous understatement.

When Mala takes the stage a while later, it's another huge notch up, and super-sub bass mind-bends and winds the room around while Pokes declares it "A CANTANKEROUS RIDDIM ON DA PLATTER". Basically, Mala totally smacks it in a huge way. This was the absolute pinnacle of the night. The number of people now just dancing and winding around the dense beats in sheer appreciation is enormous. Every rewind brings down a colossal cheer of both rage at the interruption of such interstellar drops, and joy at getting to hear those drops one more time.     

Martyn's debut album, 'Great Lengths' was released 20th April 2009 on 3024 and is available now.

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Mcdean