Brixton 414 club feels like a local club for local people – it’s small and intimate, but worth the long haul from the provinces made by some of us if they’re putting on music like this!

Requiem is a new night, a joint production by Tripoli Trax and FlashPoint Records. Given the reputation of TT as the historically foremost hardhouse label, and FP as the current number one for nails/filth/dirty hardhouse (or whatever label you want) you just knew this was the night for those who love their hardhouse music.

As I hoped and expected, therefore, every track in every set was quality. There wasn’t a single sound that didn’t accord with my taste in music.

That’s not to say it was all one type of music, either. Each DJ had a different style, and each built up his set from melody to full on power. This was a night of tunes as well as fist-punching hoover madness.

I come to London for the best music and am always surprised (perhaps I shouldn’t be by now) that so many folk arrive late for top music events like this and miss the warm up sets, which are often really good. Chris Comben’s superb three hour (!) warm up promised to include a good few classic Tripoli Trax and did indeed. Some of my favs were the OD404 stuff, ‘Feel what I feel’ by Prime Mover (now there was a top pair of tunesmiths), and ‘Epidemic’ by Exit EEE (or is it ‘Exit EEE’ by Epidemic? I can never remember – too many Es, if you see what I mean ;o) Saying this, Chris’s own new tunes stood out, especially, the ludicrously catchy ‘Rash’, ‘Carrier signal’ and my own favourite ‘Body movin’.



By the time young Frank Farrell took to the decks, the crowd had finally arrived, and with it an increase in the BPM. So many super tunes, and so many by Frank himself, that I hardly know where to begin – all your favourites were there, like ‘Get lost’ and ‘Dropped the ball’. The crowd demanded and got his ‘Sharona’ (with Karim), which was a great singalong, as was ‘Ultra camp’ that followed it. Frank can be as hard as you like (you won’t catch me trying to duff him in the playground!) but these examples show the range of his musical talent too. He ended with Tinrib & Thomas’s ‘The leader’. This segued into the set by the man straddling both FlashPoint and Tripoli labels, and known as one of the most hard-working and dynamic characters on the scene: Marc Johnson. Marc started hard but then stepped back and built the set up to new levels of raw power. Highlights included the massive hit ‘Blunt force trauma’, ‘Something ugly’, Tom Parr’s sexy-groovy-hoover ‘You make me’ (rmx) and the supreme fist-puncher, and best track of the night so far, ‘Hyperscum’: I got the beat I got the beat and that’s all we need! Love that track :o)



The other guest DJ for tonight was Adam M, who runs Oktane records and the Hi Octane club night in Leeds, which has a built up a reputation for being among the very best in the country.

Despite playing without a monitor, Adam showed that he is not only a talented producer but one of the cleverest hardhouse DJs behind the decks too. His set was quite eclectic, with several well known tracks getting his treatment including (to kick off) Hyperlogic’s ‘Only me’, Café del Mar ‘Energy 52’, and ‘Let’s rock’ by E-Trax. Again, his own tracks were outstanding, especially his amazing remix of Diddy ‘Give me love’ and the completely awesome ‘Are you all ready’ bootleg (Tony de Vit would be hoovering in his grave to both of these). Track of the night!

FlashPoint’s own Dave Curtis played the end-of-night set and delivered high quality nails to the masses. This was a set that got better and better, with plenty of top new material (such as everyone’s current fav ‘Fishy situations’), mixed in with recent hits (such as ‘Rampage’). We particularly enjoyed Dave’s bootleg of Defective Audio’s ‘The hulk’, and lyric of the night must go to Dave’s ‘Weekender’, even if it was the ‘radio edit’ version.

Finally I must say what a cool venue the 414 is! Loved the ambience and décor, and I must make a special mention of the excellent foodbar upstairs: herbal teas, soup, pot noodles, fresh fruit, cheese toasties etc etc to go! The icing on the cake!

But the last word of all must go to one of our sponsors for this super Weekender:

Good evening hard house ravers. A lot of people have been making too much noise about how much they hate hard house, and how it’s not like it used to be. Well I’ve got news for you. There’s nothing better than a big old hoover and some 150bpm beats to make your dinner go down properly and to help you forget all that nine-to-five bollocks. So here is to the weekend.

Couldn’t have put it better myself. :o)

here here.... top review, top night, top DJ's, top people...

Bring on the next one!

Top review Mr Nutter

Thats quality John. Ill defo be at the next one but am back in cyber Scotland at the mo x

Bloody hell how to you remember all that? Had an ace night...my memory of the whole affair is somewhat scrambled though :) Can't wait to make the trip down the M1 again in May :)

Awesome Review Mr Nutter!!!! Here's some more pics of the night....

Good review and top pics

check the rest out, most were taken by emma and katy so there's a whole lot of lunging in them haha!

I'll see how goes, TBH i have several thou still go go through from weekender

haha, fair play. can't wait til october...