Presently homeless after leaving their birthplace the Attic, Sequence settled on the Paradise Factory for their fourth birthday party, and a program of kicking techno in the main room with a deeper, minimal shade in the second. The club, once the the Factory record label headquarters, achieved notoriety on the UK club scene in the 90’s. Its changed hands a few times since its heyday, and is due to be open for only the first 6 months of each year in its latest incarnation. With nights such as Sequence delivering electronic music luminaries such as Matt Dear, Rob Hood, and Clark and big names like Theo Parrish, Switch and Skream coming soon, the Paradise Factory is aiming to host Manchester's most attractive parties once more.
The clubs three floors (mezzanine level to the ground floor, second room in the attic) were quickly busy with an eager crowd. Low ceilings throughout and eaves in the attic helped create an intimate atmosphere, and a liability to knock ones head when it really got pumping on the top floor. Long queues to get out front for a smoke made a few people’s night marginally healthier.
Skam records associate Rob Hall used his early hours slot on the main sound to explore the twisted and uncompromising aspects of electro and techno, a fitting introduction at a night which has regularly left the well worn dancefloor grooves to host more esoteric music. Surgeon followed with a dynamic and stylistically wide ranging set, leaving lots of space to breathe between some brutally contorted techno. Clark started with a jolt, his set gradually moving away from the 4/4 beat. Whilst the intensity was sustained, the quality was not. Ramping up the BPM and adding chaotic flurries separated the electronica fans from the techno purists, leaving the latter bemused.
DJ Rob Hood was over from Detroit to finish off the front room, performing in his Grey Area guise (meaning a set focussed on his own productions.) One of the first to talk about minimal techno, his stripped down heavy techno sound, as deep as it is dark, still sounds uniquely his own. Hood has always stuck to his Detroit techno roots, something a lot of people in Manchester seemed happy about.
First up after the residents in the second room was local lad Andy Stott, with a strong but fairly routine live set. Redshape came next and played a masterful set - the tone was perfect for the confined space, with a sense of depth, warmth and drama that’s far from typical. Top stuff.
Fresh from supporting Hot Chip across town earlier, Matt Dear kept the party rocking with a very nice funked up minimal DJ set unfortunately beset by technical problems. Lots of people hoped to see his live show but as far as this crowd was concerned the man behind the Audion releases can’t do much wrong.
SCSI-AV head honcho Daz Quayle wrapped things up, but we were back on the M62 by then, driving across the tarmac with just high mounted lights and a low moon alight outside.
Michael Curtis
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