Matter was the place to be this Friday as herds of drum and bass fans flooded to see some of the biggest DJ’s put on a performance of a lifetime at one of London’s prime clubs since The End. Ram Records have taken over Matter with DJ’s Andy C, Chase and Status, Subfocus, Roni Size, DJ Hype, Red One, Fierce B2B Break and Culture Shock in room one and MC’s GQ Fats, IC3 and Dynamite. Room two represented the best in dubstep and more DnB with Caspa, Kiss 100’s DJ Hatcha, Doc Scott, Marcus Intalex, Lynx, Shimon, Moving Fusion and Cotti & Cluekid.
Matter is easy to get to being situated at the O2 arena and is definitely one place to check out this year with nights being hosted by Mixmag, Bedrock, Cocoon, Hospitality and of course Ram. Drawing in the best DJ’s and bands in the music industry like Simian Mobile Disco, Armand Van Helden, Paul Van Dyke, The Maccabees and Little Boots; this hugely successful club launched by the people behind Fabric will leave your ears ringing, feet popping and body rocking! The club holds a capacity of 2,600 and has three floors with balconies overlooking the dance floor and plenty of places to chill out on. There is also a superb bridge within a cage on the top floor overlooking the dance floor for the most daring of clubbers. With plenty of bars within the club it is easy to get a drink without any hassle as there is no overcrowding and the brilliant dance floor is the perfect place to see your favourite DJ bash it out on the decks inside a caged DJ booth. The top sound system and amazing strobe lights will blow your mind alongside the basic and industrial decor which creates a definitive warehouse feel; perfect for the music that pumps through the speakers. The clean toilets situated on the second floor are big enough to avoid queues and the easily accessible smoking area is another place to cool down after raving it up on the dance floor!
You should be warned though as Matter is quite a long walk around the side of the O2 and it's best to follow the signs round the exterior rather than through the arena which is normally packed full of people, especially on concert nights. However the walk round leads you through a walkway of twinkling lights nearby the Thames and once you see the entrance to the club you heart starts pumping for an insane night of amazing music provided by the best DJ’s around today. You know you’ve arrived to a top club with an array of burly bouncers at the front and separate queues for ticket holders, guest listers and those attempting to buy a ticket on the night. A bit of advice, purchase your tickets before the night for a hassle free time and you will be merrily escorted quickly into the club by certain individuals that are tasked for these jobs. The first thing you’ll hear is the pumping sounds from the main room so once you’ve handed your coat into the cloakroom, (which is crammed with staff to make sure you enter the club quickly) grab a drink at the first bar and experience the club you’ve made an effort to come and see. The atmosphere is immense and there is no attitude as everyone is there to see their favourite DJ rather than coming for the average night out. What you have to understand is Matter aint just no club its a special occasion and this brings clubbers from all over the UK and Europe! While i was handing my coat in i was chatting to two French ravers and their friend from Scotland who had all come down on the evening. There is a good mix of people inside the club with the girls dressed to impress, the neon brigade sprinkling across the club, an array of sunglasses everywhere and the cool kids with their trendy tees. These are groups that happily blend well together to provide a cool atmosphere without any trouble unlike at other well established London clubs.
To the music and Roni Size was first to my attention. He created a whirl on the decks busting out some great liquid DnB to get everyone in a party mood but not making them peak to early. Legend Roni put on an unforgettable set with MC Dynamite hyping up the crowd ready for Andy C’s two hour slot which was to follow and always is the high point of every Ram night. MC Dynamite teased on the mic to an excitable response from the punters whilst Size pumped up the volume on the decks to a sea of cheers from the DnB fans who had gathered in their hundreds. The dance floor was already packed when I arrived with most people flooding the club by 11pm. The usual trend for people attending Matter is much like room 1 at Fabric, they head straight for the overlooking ledges that lay along the sides of the floor. After I had been there for a short time, Andy C stepped up to the decks and played to a demanding crowd who jumped and skanked to the beats being dropped. For the last half year Andy C has been working hard on his intros and what intros they are! You have to be there to believe them and then kid yourself that they really are live and for real. His fast mixing and true DnB classics excited the crowd throughout the ground floor and balconies. Everyone who was there was clearly a true Andy C fan as every tune he dropped got a massive response with loud whoops, whistles and cheers throughout! Being crowned the Best DJ for the 10th successive year is a well deserved reward for the sets he plays and the atmosphere he creates within the club. This weekend he erupted the dance floor and played at another sold out Ram Records event; a night I would certainly recommend at a club you can fall in love with! Later on in the night Chase and Status tore the venue apart mixing in their latest tunes with a bit of breakbeat as fans took to their own zones getting in touch with the music that streamed through the speakers. The dance floor vibrated with the immense bass of the tunes and the green strobe lights filled the club to create an unforgettable atmosphere. Matter have even popped strobes in the dance floor which makes the best moments even more intense.
Later on followed Subfocus who dropped the best in dub and DnB blowing up the best tunes and teasing the crowd with his latest mixes from his massively anticipated album. His tune Timewarp got the crowd going with help from the amazing lighting system and many continued to rave it up in their own atmospheres feeling the music that was being pumped through the mixer. Room two is slighter smaller but still provides the top sound quality and if not prepared especially for dubstep as Ram proved this weekend providing an alternative music choice to the drum and bass. Enter this all new popular genre dubstep with one of its biggest players, Caspa. He represented the best in dubstep, playing heavy and grimy tunes such as his highly successful remix of TC’s drum and bass anthem ‘Where’s my Money’ which received a huge response. With an album out later this month Ram made sure he was up there with the best DJ’s to promote his latest productions. Also in this room throughout the night Moving Fusion built up the mood creating a buzz with tunes such as the heavy weight anthem, Turbulence. Shimon smashed up the dance floor with his well known remixes and fresh mixes from Lynx got a well received response from the loving crowd.
Come 5am and the vibrating dance floor downstairs is still packed out in true raving style with the bass from the vocals of the Scratch Perverts feat MC Dynamite ‘warning warning warning’ which was pumping through the club. Ram at matter is a night thats well worth its weight in gold and Ram Records proved they can continue their reign as in our opinion the best hosts of dnb and dubstep nights. Matter is the next level venue that offers something that Fabric, Herbal and Area dont have to offer. The next drum and bass night at Matter sees a take over from Hospitality on May 1st with High Contrast, London Elektricity and Fabio all hitting the decks and Ram Records returns on 5th June, so get your tickets early for a huge night of the best DnB and dubstep!
By Kayleigh Bell - Kayleigh@underground-music.co.uk
Unfortunately we could not provide the interview with Subfocus as advertised. This will hopefully follow after his album launch party from his Southampton date in May.
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