Having experienced the success of Andy C in Circa's main room, it seemed strange that the venue chose to house his fellow countrymen in the tiny Smirnoff Ballroom while the usual Randomland club night went on below. It made for an intimate, if somewhat reserved event, with the slightly embarrassed restraint of the sparse crowd evaporating only when DJ Lush gave way to Brit duo Ben Settle and Matt Quinn, better known as Ed Rush & Optical, and the room finally filled up.
Since the two men joined forces they've become a powerhouse of drum and bass, and it was easy to see why; the fluidity with which they constantly replaced each other on the decks made it look as if their relationship was meant to be. Single DJs struggle to produce such a natural-sounding set, with each mix flowing into the next without the beat breaking once, so the fact that two different personalities produced such an organic sound was astounding.
The night had a dark atmosphere, much like most of their releases, but this only buoyed the mood of the crowd, who had noticeably relaxed and been taken over by the overwhelming bass being pumped through their bodies. Standing just metres away from the talented MC made you feel totally absorbed in the beat as well, but a step away from the scene made it clear that despite the brilliance of the DJs there was something not quite right: too few people in a room too small to hold two such immense talents.
Since the two men joined forces they've become a powerhouse of drum and bass, and it was easy to see why; the fluidity with which they constantly replaced each other on the decks made it look as if their relationship was meant to be. Single DJs struggle to produce such a natural-sounding set, with each mix flowing into the next without the beat breaking once, so the fact that two different personalities produced such an organic sound was astounding.
The night had a dark atmosphere, much like most of their releases, but this only buoyed the mood of the crowd, who had noticeably relaxed and been taken over by the overwhelming bass being pumped through their bodies. Standing just metres away from the talented MC made you feel totally absorbed in the beat as well, but a step away from the scene made it clear that despite the brilliance of the DJs there was something not quite right: too few people in a room too small to hold two such immense talents.
