Live Review: John Digweed, El Darlo & Makltan

At the turn of last century there were a slew of indie films that attempted, with varying degrees of success, to depict rave culture at its kinetic and hedonistic peak. What films like Go and Human Traffic had in common, aside from being mildly entertaining and air-light in thematic substance, was a music selection seemingly designed to age horribly. A notable exception to this is Groove. Although guilty of wafer-thin characterisation and riddled with 'it was a night none of us would ever forget' clichés, the tunes played throughout are MONSTROUS. And amongst the DJs rinsing out these timeless bangers? None other than Renaissance/Bedrock/Transitions legend John Digweed in a somewhat awkward cameo appearance. 

That a DJ of Digweed's stature can walk away from a faddish 'of-the-moment' film, over a decade later, with reputation not only intact but enhanced is fair tribute to the enduring talent and ear of the man. And so the reverential flocked to Villa in hopes of witnessing and getting down to a set that reflected as much. The entry-line banter, awash with ex-pat accents, was excitable and the club quickly filled with a feverish buzz. El Dario & Makitan were spinning back-to-back in the elevated DJ booth and delivered an exemplary warm-up set of bumping house to an appreciative and increasingly animated audience. The quality duo rinsed choice cuts like the Daniel Stefanik remix of Marbert Rocel's Small Things and the overall set served as an ideal taste of the four-to-the-floor mastery to come. The moment had arrived and the build-up, teased and strung along to perfection, was immense. Once John Digweed let the kick drum drop the crowd reciprocated with hands in the air and a cumulative whirling dervish of joyous dancing. And for the first half of the set he refused to allow anyone to come up for air. It was a relentless progression from sharp-edged house to clinical, breathtaking tech. Full of those Cheshire Cat grin moments, it reached a point where one thought, 'where can it go from here?' And it was duly answered – not too far. The pressure had to subside at some time and unfortunately Digweed burst the dam around the halfway point. That's not to say he wasn't busting out killer tunes, simply that the fever pitch of the set had probably been premature. It was still a showcase from a master and great fun to dance to some sounds from the underground. And to those who missed out – rent a copy of Groove.