Shogun Audio @The End (20 April) Review

Friction and friends touched back down in the hallowed arches of The End for a second round of Shogun Audio - quickly establishing itself as one of the most exciting nights in D'n'B. Kicked off by the legendary Randall and followed by the rising State of Mind, Shogun demonstrated their reputation for quality line-ups, blending veterans and the freshest talent.

The intriguing prospect of Noisia b2b Break brought a set of filthy beats and rising basslines, punctuated with classics such as 'The Nine' and 'Medicine'. The talented SP:MC stepped up and inevitably raised the raver's paces. They were followed by Krust, who stepped up alongside Dynamite MC to present a crowd-pleasing Full Cycle-only set. It went down well with the youngers, but it couldn't keep me from gravitating towards the deep dubstep basslines emanating from a busy Room Two.

Shogun Audio owner Friction touched down at 2pm flanked by Dynamite and SP for a reliably exciting set. Using the 2 hours to journey through Jump Up, Liquid, Jungle and beyond, his mix showcased his dazzling technical ability amidst a slew of big dubplates. Tangibly stepping through the gears, the second hour really took off as Friction started pulling huge rewinds and squeezed 4 tunes into one particular mix (inc. High Contrast and 'Titan'). Messy business. Highlights included 'Dumpling Riddim'/'Planet Dust' and the floor-shaking 'Screamer Remix'/Dillinja's 'In The Grind' that cuminated in unanimous noise from the satisfied ravers.

The crowd was noticeably of the younger gurner variety, and sparser than the first event, which meant The End's trademark intimate buzz was replaced with a more rave vibe. More heads up than heads down? The Big Bad Bass king himself, Dillinja, stepped on for a classics set that tantalisingly begun with tracks off the legendary Cybertron LP. Unfortunately my weary legs could no longer sustain my hazy head and I embarked on the painful N29 dawn trek home, marking another solid Shogun outing.

Shogun Audio @The End - Review

Friday evening saw Killz dashing down from the Midlands to reach the launch of Friction's Shogun Audio night at The End. Perhaps inevitably, it didn't disappoint. Strolled into man-of-the-moment Alix Perez's set, rolling out deeper, soulful beats. Dynamite MC held down proceedings with characteristic energy.

Alix was suitably followed by Klute b2b D-Bridge who continued the deeper vibes. Its a rare pleasure to hear two of the scene's finest producers unleashing their dubs on The End's impeccable soundsystem, where their beats seemed to burst into life. Their set compromised of crisp chunky breaks and rolling basslines that got the true DnB heads excited.

Kenny Ken stepped up in place of Shy FX for a Jungle special that saw the veteran digging in the crates for an hour of rare gems, amidst classics like Leviticus' 'Burial'. The appreciative crowd lapped up the history lesson with smiles and gurns, creating a buzz of anticipation for the headline set.

Shogun Audio head honcho DJ Friction took the helm for a 3 hour journey, with right hand man SP:MC on mic duties took whip up the frenzy. Playing across the spectrum from Liquid to Jump-Up, dubplates to classics, this was the Quartz Lock Kid's moment. His mixing and timing was dependently impeccable, with the biggest tunes, drops and mixes arriving in a succession of bass-driven crescendos. Regrettably the combination of my excitement, smokers memory and 3 weeks has conspired to make me forget the key tunes... although I do recall losing it to Shy FX's 'Power of Rah'!

The Nextmen alongside Dynamite MC provided welcome respite from the crowded energy of Room 1, throwing down their inimitable Hip Hop and eclectic styles to keep the crowd bubbling. The duo always deliver, and were the highlight amongst an excellent Room 2 line-up that also saw Noisia and Ctrl-Z delivering weighty Breaks sets.

Pendulum and Zinc closed out the evening with a plethora of fresh dubs and bangers. To be fair I wasn't feeling their sets as much as the deeper sounds that distinguished Shogun Audio from your standard events - but the raving massive didn't seem to mind. Who could argue when you have been treated to this much quality on one blissful, beats-fuelled evening?

Scratch Perverts & Dynamite MC @Pressure

Two thousand and sick. Turntablist wizards The Scratch Perverts touch down at Pressure this Thursday, accompanied by the legendary Dynamite MC... it doesn't come much hotter than this. World DMC champions Tony Vegas, Prime Cuts & Plus One are famed for some of the craziest scratch tricks ever witnessed on the 1210's. I saw them only last week at Fabric and they smashed it.

Yours truly Killz will be in full support with my DJ's Bensun and Version. The event is part of Warwick Uni's 'One World Week' party that has grown to become one of the largest multicultural events of its kind... and a traditional Pressure takeover. And don't forget we're rolling all the way thru to 3am too! Tickets are available at Ents24.com. Snap dem up while you still can and blow off that dreaded Friday at work. Big.

@The Cooler

Warwick Students’ Union, Coventry

SCRATCH PERVERTS & DYNAMITE MC (DNB SET)
VERSION
BENSUN
SAMAS
QUANTUM

MC KILLA DAN

9pm - 3am

£4 NUS / £6 (adv)
Tickets: 024 765 72794 //

http://www.warwick-advance.org/ Connect Records Leamington // FOPP Leamington Spa
PHOTO ID REQUIRED. NO EXCEPTIONS.

This is a special "one world week" pressure.
TICKET ALSO PROVIDES ENTRY INTO HOUSE ROOM FEAT STEVE ANGELLO, plus other rooms feat African Drumming, sheesha and much more.