VIDEOS: J00F Editions London review

Old met new on an amazing night of progressive house and trance courtesy of J00F Editions in London last night, writes TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian. 

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Iconic and historic Koko (formerly the Camden Palace) provided a stunning contrast to the absolutely cutting edge dance music served up to a rapturous crowd.

I arrived early and already the venue was in full swing, with a pulsating soundtrack – I’ve not seen a club so busy so early in many years.

The stripped back DJ table was bathes in fairly simple purple light, which lent an otherworldly appearance, but this was all about the music.

And on that J00F Editions did not disappoint – excellent sets from John 00 Fleming and Steve Arnold were also joined by the awesome Astrix, who I’d never seen before, but will definitely seek out again in future.

His was the stand out set in a night of stand out sets.

The genres ranged from progressive to trance to psytrance in what was a futuristic whir of musical mayhem.

The knowledgeable and fervent crowd were loving every morsel of the aural feast as was I.

Quite simply it was a fantastic night and I will be looking out for the next J00F Editions event wherever it may be and so should you.    

PREVIEW: J00F Editions at Koko, London

London's iconic Camden Palace (now known as Koko) will play host to banging electronic beats and soaring soundscapes once again next month as trance titan John '00' Fleming's J00F Editions sweeps into town.

Mr Fleming (pictured with TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian) will be joined by psytrance star Astrix as well as Steve Arnold for a night which promises to showcase the bleeding edge of trance and progressive music.

TopReviews4U will be there on the night and will review the action on social media and on this blog after the tumultuous tunage has subsided.

The event will take place on May 29 and the combination of the ultra-atmospheric dance music and the fantastic, historic setting makes for a mouthwatering prospect.

Check back for the full review after the night.

For more information click here

We Are WHSE presents: Cream Ibiza - Vandit Records, with Paul van Dyk, John '00' Fleming, Giuseppe Ottaviani and others

A bill featuring the likes of Paul van Dyk, John '00' Fleming, Guiseppe Ottaviani and Solarstone is difficult to avoid for trance fan like me, writes TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian.

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I'd never seen J00F play before and really love the driving progressive and psytrance sound he has made his own for many years at the forefront of cutting edge electronic music.
But, leaving aside his fantastic set, I must turn to the rather odd venue.

Southwark's Great Suffolk Street Warehouse, or We Are WHSE as it calls itself by virtue of repeated lighting effects, was bizarre.

I have been to clubs in disused or repurposed Victorian railway arches before, but they had always had a door and were actually inside.

This venue was essentially like The Arches in EastEnders and I expected at any moment to see Phil Mitchell sliding out from under a car, brandishing a monkey wrench.

 

I still haven't decided whether this was a fantastic or truly terrible place to host events.

What was fantastic was the atmosphere generated by John '00' Fleming, who provided the highlight, as well as a certain Mr van Dyk's pulsating peak-time performance, which began with his own seminal trance banger For An Angel.

Fleming ended his early set with the incredible RITMO remix of The Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up, to a stunning light show.

It was clear that the main 'room' or Arch One as it is literally and aptly known had been lavished with the greater care.

The second arch suffered from a lack of lighting and low volume, and the basic mixing desk looked sparse and unprofessional, rather than stripped back and retro.

Other bugbears were the queueing and toilets.

We waited 30 minutes for a cloakroom berth for one coat, which meant a large slab of the action was missed entirely.

And the toilets were basically portable cabins and open stand-up festival urinals.

 

In fact the entire operation was like a cheap (almost) indoor festival, complete with infuriating drinks token system – which meant waiting in line again.

 

But I can't grumble too much as the music was spectacular and more than made up for the terrible/awesome/not really sure venue.