The sounds of Detroit techno and acid house flooded through the Warehouse Project into the early hours of Saturday for their mammoth ‘Resident Advisor’ night.
The dark and maze-like Room Two warmed up with a DJ that has been causing a few stirs in the scene as of late: Will Saul fuelled the crowd with sounds like his song-of-the-summer track ‘Wallflower’ which has been remixed by the likes of big-dogs Huxley and Deetron.
Meanwhile in the main room, it was a big return for superstar Nicolas Jaar. Voted the best live act in 2012, he proved why he is undoubtedly one of the most unpredictable and ever-surprising acts in the game. His unique charisma, style and superior musical talent was reflected in what can only be described as an hour and a half journey through an array of incredible instrumental improvisations that was a showcase in itself as well as a DJ set.
It was an Ibiza/Hideout festival lovers haven as the morning drew in and streams of people flitted between crowd favourites Seth Troxler, the ‘WHP Queen’ Heidi and Bristol boy Eats Everything.
But it was the giants from the Berlin-based M-inus label that stole the spoils of the night for the craver of the dark, minimal techno fix.
Jon Gaiser was nothing short of a full and intricate live display of an artist at work: his set was instinctive and intense, engulfing the moods and atmosphere of the crowd into every track.
The dark, chuggy influences of Gaiser’s music shows that he has felt no ebb in the techno scene and this man just continues to do what he does best – with his own character and dedicated work ethic, each and every time.
As Gaiser closed off his set and the clock approached 2:30am, there was definitely no tired limbs in the house as everyone prepared themselves for the headliner of the evening to take control of the decks.
Fresh off the plane from smashing Amsterdam’s Gashouder for the prestigious ‘Awakenings’ event, Richie Hawtin showed no signs of fatigue as he took the reigns over a jam-packed main room.
Opening his set with his signature slow-building crescendo of a snare that glossed and vibrated the roof of the whole room, El Hawtin was charging up the batteries of a crowd that he described on Twitter as full of ‘open minded ears and warm sweaty energy’.
Cycling through different intensities, the beats flitted between drum machines, synths and fx units, travelling through sounds from artists like Marcel Dettmann, Hobo and Recondite, from a man that has developed into an performer whose sets are a dynamic process of unique interpretation between audience and artist.
From sparks and appearances of bare, stripped-down minimal twangs that were reminiscent of his ‘Plastikman’ days… to long, enticing build-ups that had the entire crowd sat down and all jumping up as one as the hard, introverted chuggy drops injected into everyone‘s ears – the international techno heavyweight showed why his dogged dedication and reign over this genre is not being handed over anytime soon… Even Heidi couldn’t resist stomping her feet in time at the side of the master at work.
The hour struck 5am and as the spirit of Warehouse Project flooded into the streets of Old Trafford and many headed home or to the after hours at South nightclub, it was safe to say that that oh-so satisfying thump of deep and hard minimal techno was definitely going to bed with us all that evening.
Picture courtesy of Nickolay Pirogov, with thanks.
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