Photo: FactMag

After pulling in some impressive bookings in the past with French Express, Kyle Hall and Leon Vynehall to name but a few, Set One Twenty launched their “From Detroit With Love” event with the offer of something a bit different for Leeds party goers with a three hour set from notorious crate digger Alex Smith, AKA Omar S.

Arriving early at the club, residents Layer and Kag were warming up the slightly thin, albeit clearly eager crowd with sets of spacey, dark house and techno. The interior of the club had some unusual touches for this one-off event, with camo-netting draped off large swathes of the club. As a result the dance floor in-between that and Mint’s infamous electric ceiling was warming up to be as psychedelic as ever, if not slightly intimidating at the same time.

By the time Smith graced the decks at 1am, the crowds around the decks had begun to swell and the night took a very different pace. As Smith slowly made his way through dropping classics like ‘S-E-X’ and numbers from his latest album release Thank U 4 Letting Me Be Myself, the Detroit producer lived up to his reputation as an underground pioneer as he commanded the crowd in unfamiliar and exciting ways.

With Detroit legend Derrick May having played an equally fantastic set a the Belgrave Music Hall only a few weeks ago, the stirring hype surrounding producers and DJ’s coming out of Michigan’s Motor City is more than living up to expectations.

James Andersen

Omar S – ‘S.E.X’ [FXHE]