Review: Solomun + 1

There aren’t many more accolades one can throw at Solomun. DJ of the year 2012, producer of the year 2012, enough said really, right? Wrong. After a momentous debut last year at Sankeys with Neon Nights, Solomun has upped the ante this time around with another slant on his solid skills. This time preferring Pacha to other famous venues, his + 1 ethos has already had the island by storm. The Diynamic boss has not only taken centre stage in the new look booth, but has also drafted in some of the most notorious heavyweight spinners on the planet to join in on the fun.

This week I dropped by to take in the whole soiree for myself. Alongside the big man came compatriot Nick Curly, still hot off the back of his debut album last year. With the club very much famous for luxurious decor and champagne guzzling punters, it was to immediate effect that the promoters behind the new-look Pacha had tried to steer away from the VIP style genre that was so visible in previous years. Of course it’s still there – but this year it was now more about the music than the money making policies of yesteryear.

It was hard to overcome how the Solomun fanatics would take to cramming into a glamourous venue, but it worked, and right from the start it was overwhelming to see how the audience took to the music and backdrop. The DJ booth being centered automatically gave off that Warehouse style atmosphere. As Solomun dropped German Brigante, a black cloud of confetti amassed over the adjourning crowd. As it rained onto the onlookers, the whole room went into a complete frenzy. Furthermore, he even took it upon himself to encourage the whole room to crouch for an illustrious DC10-style drop, once again sending the crowd into overdrive.

Nick Curly added his take on proceedings with a blend of sultry tech-house bombs. Wobbly bass lines were met with some darker style techno which filled the room and gave the crowd a different option. Although not sounding out of place, it was always going to be hard to take over after a huge set from the Diynamic front man.

As the night draws to a close and I leave the 40 year old club basking in the 7am sunlight, it really did change my opinion on the stereotypes that hang over the club. It’s really good to see the club diversifying.

– Stephen Flynn