Black Light
Dave Clarke & Luke Slater
Mint
Saturday 3rd November

There’s nothing like some heavy techno to warm up a miserable November night, and fortunately for us, promoters Black Light were only too happy to administer a healthy dose. The new kids on the block have already impressed with their well-received offering at the Mint Festival earlier this year, presenting a stage that featured the likes of Surgeon, Ben Klock and Adam Beyer, to name just a few. They had some high standards to maintain, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when they announced that some members of the techno aristocracy would be headlining their launch night: the inimitable Dave Clarke and Ostgut Ton badman Luke Slater.

With the weekend proving a typically hectic one in terms of clubbing options, Mint Club wasn’t as packed as it should have been, especially considering the status of the headliners. The silver lining to this was that the lack of crowding facilitated a really warm atmosphere – rave veterans were only too happy to rub shoulders with youngsters totally new to the game. The combination of friendly camaraderie and plenty of dancing room was very nice indeed.  Unfortunately the start of the night was marred with some soundsystem technicals, but nonetheless the support DJs brought some heat, with Mark Turner in particular playing a rousingly eclectic mix.

The Baron, as Dave Clarke has been dubbed, came on around 1.30am, and got straight down to business with a barrage of high
octane techno. Known for his satisfyingly aggressive style, he employed a variety of mixing styles and sound effects to produce the kind of energetic rave atmosphere that typified the techno scene in its early days. The famous Mint lighting system alchemised Clarke’s big room sound, and despite a few playful ventures into electro, the set was the kind of sonic assault that the punters had come for.

To their credit the promoters managed to sort the system out well before the headliners took to the decks, and the sound was near perfect for both Clark and Slater’s sets. Paradoxically, Slater was slightly disappointing in that it his set was a little too perfect: a precise mix of deep, rolling techno that was frustratingly minimal in style as well as content. All in all, however, the night was a brilliant introduction to the Black Light crew. If they’ve started as they mean to go on, we’re definitely looking forward to seeing what they’ve got for us next.

words: Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura
photo: Ian G. Ramsey