Back in May, two of Leeds’ freshest collectives, Equaliser and Stretchy Dance Supply, came together at Sheaf Street to put on the kind of night that typified their rise on the scene.

Stretchy Dance Supply have described themselves as a collective that ‘breaks away from the cookie-cutter events that take themselves too seriously’; a detachment from your typical Leeds night that the party at Sheaf Street demonstrated perfectly. Their joining forces with Equaliser was greatly anticipated in the build up to this event, and without a doubt lived up to all expectations, allowing for a night of footwork and jungle-routed madness.

On top of all this, the collectives welcomed two of London’s finest selectors for their Leeds debut, and it must be said that they absolutely smashed it. Fauzia and Sherelle, who host the much lauded XTC show on NTS, displayed an undeniable chemistry behind the decks, as their 2 hour set moved through footwork, jungle and all things 160 bpm. In booking Fauzia and Sherelle, the two collectives helped to showcase the emergence of a fresh pool of DJs in a scene that, for a period of time, was becoming generic and stale.

With support from Equaliser’s finest resident DJ’s, Plugkeisha and Zoya, and Stretchy’s own Breaka and Sourpuss, who delivered some riotous jungle, the night also showcased the unreal quality of talent that Leeds has to offer when platforms are provided for artists to establish themselves.

Both Equaliser, who serve as Leeds’ flagship non-cis male collective, and Stretchy, with their unique sound and workout visuals, carry distinctive features that make them impossible to forget. Those behind both collectives also deserve a mention for just being pretty awesome people, super dedicated to enabling our scene in Leeds to evolve. For each of their nights, they manage to bring a certain energy that the crowd feeds off; one that was particularly evident during Breaka and Sourpuss’ closing set.

We look forward to seeing what the future holds for both collectives as they continue to shape Leeds’ underground scene.

(Image credit: Joe O’Shea)