Leisure System
Jimmy Edgar (Live), Machinedrum (Live)
Untold, Objekt, Eliphino
The Warehouse
Saturday 10th November
As any club-going Leeds inhabitant will confirm, Leeds is a city with a nightlife so rich that most weekends the average clubgoer is spoilt for choice. The wealth of excellent nights is no problem at all for the average punter, but must be a total nightmare for promoters trying to sell tickets. This was unfortunately the case on Saturday night. The Warehouse hosted a Leisure System showcase, serving up a solid lineup featuring some of the best acts the Berlin-based label has to offer. However the night didn’t quite draw the kind of crowd that such a brilliant selection of acts deserved, resulting in the second room being closed. The silver lining was that the people that did come out seemed to be real fans, which was lovely.
Nonetheless, despite a few hiccups the evening was a success. Eliphino, a DJ who never disappoints, was as consistent as ever, bringing some classic garage to the decks that managed to move one or two of the sparse crowd. By the time Untold took to the stage there were a few more heads to catch his excellent set, which was definitely a highlight of the event: his mixing style was easygoing, never too erratic but eclectic enough to hold your attention, with a professionally mixed selection of leftfield electronica and heavy but atmospheric techno.
Jimmy Edgar was the man a lot of people had come out to see, and as always he cut a charismatic figure, clothed in an air of mystery and a lot of black. His live set was very, very, very cool, but sadly marred by some technicals, after which the sound levels mangled the bass and left your ears full of distortion. Nonetheless a fascinating mix of chewy, punch-you-in-the-face techno and the sexy, spaced out funk that Edgar is known for. Machinedrum’s set was decidedly American, with one too many enquiries regarding how the crowd was doing. He couldn’t be blamed for wanting to reenergize the night after the blip during the previous set, however, and his sound was very much high octane. The crowd couldn’t quite keep up, it has to be said, but all credit to Machinedrum for trying.
Last but by no means least was the young but talented Objekt. After Machinedrum’s stateside extravaganza part of the DJing platform was dismantled and the remainder of the crowd invited onstage for the final set of the night, creating the strange effect of a club within a club. This made for an all the more intimate set and Objekt made sure the night ended on a high. All in all a very interesting night – if only more people had been there to appreciate it.
words: Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura
photo: Justin Gardner