The Faktion crew have been staging serious players from the techno and dubstep underground since early this year, but I doubt any of their line ups have provoked such keen anticipation as this did. The SSR venue is a great place to hear quality music, removed from the city centre, without the pomp of dedicated, commercial clubs and kitted out with a killer soundsystem.
Faktion resident Padrow, playing before Portable/Bodycode, built the momentum nicely with an entertaining set. If the mixing lacked something, the selection and set building more than made up for it, with electro and techno across styles and eras all slotted into place.
There's something special and unique about the sound of Portable/Bodycode (perhaps we should just call him Alan?) Maybe this has something to do with a history that’s seen him take his music from Cape Town in South Africa to London, before settling in Lisbon, Portugal. Somehow he’s managed to forge a sound that seems equal parts acid house 1989 and experimental techno 2004. It all pulses with organic life, stomping like an unleashed though very friendly beast. His use of a mic to perform and dub the vocals to tracks like 'Don't Give Up' was a pleasing infraction against the sometimes oh-so-not-live set. His compositions strong harmonic and melodic content helped make this a lively and captivating performance.
Shed is playing a number of dates to support his Shedding the Past album. Recording his first long player, Shed has expanded and refined his sound pallet to make something of a zeitgeist album which has been widely acclaimed and, tellingly, is sold out in virtually all outlets 2 months after its release. However, the problem with promotional tours was maybe heard tonight. With this set focussed on his Ostgut material tonight, those who loved his earlier Soloaction releases and there primal deep techno and house stylings were left a little frustrated. But thats not to detract from were he's at now: his genre splitting sound deserves to be heard by many more heads.
The first half of this set was all about suspense and tension building, with the basic elements deployed to maximum effect: taught beats sparring with pristine breakdowns, with the release of the bass drum's drop tantalisingly withheld. The last half hour saw the dancers given their rightful prize, the beats rising until Shed's old school sound broke through with the Ostgut bomb 'Warped Mind'. Whilst parts of his set were received with heads nodding rather than limbs flailing, the applause as he finished showed that Shed's appearance was very much appreciated.
The last hour was for the residents to work the dancefloor, and a forthright techno selection from the Aerobiq Mystiq did just that. Unfortunately it’s likely this will be the last Faktion party at SSR, which is a shame as it’s perfectly suited to their music on the outskirts.
Michael Curtis
http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=5621
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