There’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned Warehouse Party. That’s fact one. Techno is great. That’s fact two. Add these two together and what do you get? One of the nights of the year, courtesy of Selective Hearing and their Lobster Theremin All Nighter in Manchester.

Set in the industrial grounds of Manchester’s Derby Street, the BYOB night summed up dance music in its truest form. No special lights and no hired photographers, no frills and no distractions. Just people and music, as raw as it gets. Such an event would normally evoke connotations of a huge space crammed with people – yet entry into the derelict warehouse was an instant surprise, with the about three hundred capacity room making for a far more intimate spectacle. A cosy rather than sweaty affair.

In a way, the far removed venue acts as the perfect environment; as you venture out to the location, following the lead of a last minute text escorting you to the secret location, you leave everything behind. You’ve got your tinnies, you’ve got your dancing shoes and you’ve got two rooms of sublime music, what more can you need?

As a result, the gritty industrial setting was juxtaposed perfectly with the atmosphere, which carried the harmonious and friendly vibes expected of a crowd sharing one sole interest – a desire to dance and to party uninhibited. Lobster Theremin provided the perfect match to such an atmosphere, with the immaculate mixing of Palms Trax, Manse, Reflec and Asquith, who between them delivered the relentless pounding techno and twisting synth hooks that will define the label as it continues to push British dance music into new territory.

These instances of clubbing in its most stripped down form are to be revered, and seeing as the warehouse was still almost packed as the party’s 6am conclusion drew close, it seems that Selective Hearing may have found the perfect formula. Long may it continue. [Andrew Kemp]