The Red Green Room
As the queue stretched around the block, the lights went down and the venue filled to the brim, the feeling in the air at Koko in Camden last Saturday night at 11pm was that of rabid anticipation. It was so that even a newcomer to the still relatively new world (compared to jazz or blues) of house and techno would be able to get into the great vibe and brilliant sets put on by veteran performers like Derrick May and James Lavelle, so long as you have the stomach for partying late into the next morning either down in the pit or high up on the balcony at arguably one of the most beautiful venues in all of London.
Although he came out relatively early in the night, it was FKJ (French Kiwi Juice) and his trademark white, Fender Stratocaster that really seemed to kill it with fans. Although French Kiwi Juice’s sound is blatantly electronic, it’s his efforts to incorporate the sound of real instruments into his set that speaks to the crowd. You can really see the difference it makes between pulling out a guitar solo and bobbing your head up and down with a pair of headphones clasped against one ear.
Equally impressive was the way the crowd seemed to surge forward and then join together in one giant, collective head bob as FKJ’s hit Instant Need broke out of its unmistakable, catchy piano jam intro and into a torrent of funky guitar and pounding bass.
One of the most interesting parts about the night was watching the Wachowskis in action. A film crew crowded the backstage area where performers would normally be watching each other’s set. Cables and cameras made it difficult to walk in the blinding strobe light and thick, stage fog and suddenly Lana Wachowski’s distinctive, pink dreads popped up somewhere in the middle of the show. She walked out on stage, seemingly oblivious to the swelling crowd in order to guide her camera man around the turn tables and an actress playing a DJ for an “upcoming sci-fi epic.”
There’s something going on virtually every night at Koko and if you’re looking for something similar, this Friday’s show is another night electro featuring DJ Alana B Devotion and DJ Ed Wilder. Headlining the gig will be the London based band Storms, who have just released a video for their new song Undress. Check out the venue for details and tickets.
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