Magnetic

This was such a great party -

Stuart Patterson and I had been running the Shrink2fit nights for a while and we wanted to do something special for the best night of the year as far as clubs go : The Thursday before good Friday and Easter weekend.

Iceni was a four story Mayfair hangout more used to catering for minor celebs and the usual moneyed but totally clueless West End crowd... London has always had loads of these places, who cream it with launch parties etc. but where real clubbers never really go - so we thought it a good idea to take one over and actually put some decent DJs on for once! And seeing as most of our lot never even knew about the place, it was an exiting new spot for a one off, and back then there wasn't that much to choose form venue-wise.

Around this time Atlas records had opened and there was some great alternative stuff going on - Ross Allen was doing a label for Island with the ever brilliant Box Saga and loads of other amazing stuff. Rob da Bank was gaining momentum with his then still adolescent Sunday Best empire... and basically London was firing on a great mix of abstract music which mixed up bits of Drum & Bass, Detroit, Breakbeats, Balearic, Nu groove stylee NY Garage etc. - I remember lot's of killer 12's from this time: Patrick pulsinger's 'iO- claire' on Mo Wax was such an anthem at Shrink2fit, As was all the DJQ stuff... I had DJ Harvey in my room in the loft with me and Rob Da Bank and it was great from the start - a real treat of a night where you knew you could take a few risks musically 'cos everyone was so vibe'd up.... so out came my trusted copy of 'Hot Lovers' by George G - this is probably one of the wrongest Italo/Balearic chestnuts out there! ( with lyrics and vocal way cheesier than City Lights) and it sounded ace! Harvey came on as showed us all why he's so special...... right in the middle of a load of very deep disco he slams in Flat Beat by Mr Oizo - this had just come out and most people had swerved it 'cos of the Levi's advert it accompanied and it being 'mainsteam' and all that - Harvey was basically saying fuck that - bin your hipster snobbery and get with the FACT that this is just a fucking incredible bit of music.....that's the mark of a proper Balearic DJ - MAKE the crowd like something they didn't already, by putting it in the perfect context.