Amidst the tower blocks of concrete in Dalston lies a green oasis propped up for dancing, drinking and evenings of better times. High above the canopy of grey rock is a garden bouncing with energy and good vibrations. Being my first time to the venue I was taken aback by the views and well designed rooftop terrace; it was the perfect place to go and see Seb Wildblood and co. lay down some of their work. The contrasting sight of Canary Wharf to some lively jazz house sounds like a miss match but on the night it worked. The Madrid-like weather has to be mentioned as the heat really contributed to the memory of that evening. Without which the mood might not have been so laid back – it truly felt European.
As I arrived Apes was already up and easing the crowd into things. Though most of the people were on the bean bags around the edge as Moomin’s ‘Woman To Woman’ came on you could see people rising in order to get their groove on. Young and beautiful people were swaying their arms to the carefree sound that Church so brilliantly produce. Suzanne Kraft’s ‘Skype’ put me in an especially good place as the sun was beginning to disappear over the horizon. Regular trips to the bar were stress free. The staff were incredibly friendly and well organised leading to short queue times, yet another factor that made the event run so smoothly.
AS APES CAME TO A CLOSE IT WAS NOW UP TO ISHMAEL TO PERFORM HIS LIVE SET. WITH THE VOLUME NOTICEABLY GROWING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT THIS WAS THE ACT THAT PEOPLE WERE MOST ENGAGED WITH. IT COMES TO NO SURPRISE AS ISHMAEL IS A BUNDLE OF TALENT. SIMULTANEOUSLY WORKING ALL OF HIS EQUIPMENT AND PLAYING THE SAX, HIS SET DEMANDED PEOPLE’S ATTENTION. AND THOUGH THE ATMOSPHERE HAD BECOME MORE CONCENTRATED, I ONLY FELT MORE JOY AS HIS EUPHORIC HARMONIES TOOK OVER.
HAVING REFUELLED AFTER EATING ONE OF THE VENUE’S DELICIOUS BURGERS WE SET BASE FRONT LEFT FOR THE REMAINING TWO HOURS. THE GAFFER WAS NOW UP AND IN FULL SWING PLAYING MUCH OF THE LABELS HOTTEST RELEASES FROM MALL GRAB, FYI CHRIS AND LAURENCE GUY. SEB ALSO WHACKED ON PROJECT PABLO’S ‘CLOSER’ WHICH GOT A LOT OF SMILES ALL AROUND. THE LAST HALF AN HOUR SAW APES JOIN HIM FOR A B2B THAT REALLY PUT THE TERRACE IN TOP GEAR. THERE WAS NEVER A QUESTION OVER THE LABEL’S QUALITY IN PRODUCTION, AND YET AGAIN THEY HAVE PROVED THAT THEY CAN THROW A PARTY TOO. THE ROOFPARK SERVED AS THE PERFECT VENUE FOR WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO. YOU PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS AND YOU’RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THANK GOD IT DID NOT RAIN!
Words by Ben S