Yesterday I went on an odyssey through London rave culture. It was the seventh part of Resident Advisor’s 24 7 series, which has hosted six 24 hour rave experiences in Bogota, Berlin, New York, Milan, Tbilisi and Milan. The London edition was held at FOLD nightclub, where sun, rain and darkness washed over the warehouse, like the ever-changing sounds and crowds of the rave.

AFTERNOON: WORKSHOPS AND GARAGE

My experience started at 1: 30 pm. As the steel doors closed behind us, we were greeted by a chorus of sunbeams pouring through the shutters. Offset by the smoke machine, it was like a natural strobe light dyed pink, blue, orange and gold by the filters on the glass: cut with the silhouettes of a few other early ravers.

First up was a genre-bending set by Tayls, which brought in elements of dark garage, tribal jungle breaks and minimal techno. This was my favourite set of the whole experience. Dancing in the rays of the afternoon sun, the beams of light on our skin gave us goosebumps. It was healing.

No pictures allowed in the venue. This photo was taken by Resident Advisor on Instagram

We lost our sense of time, and suddenly it was 3pm. So we ventured to the EQ50 workshop, guided by signs shouting ‘GREASY SPOON CAF IS DOWNSTAIRS MATE’ and ‘IT’S THAT WAY’.

Plunging into an industrial basement, we made our way through concrete tunnels. As the sign suggested, the workshop was literally in a dingy old caf, decked out with diner tables and a massive sound system under lurid red light.

For the EQ50 workshop, UK bass pioneers Mantra, Flight and Sherelle invited producers to share their tracks for live feedback. (A huge opportunity considering how many tracks they receive in their inbox).

At the end of the session Toya Delazy dropped her afro rave/zulu grime tune Funani and broke into dance. It was an uplifting way to finish a constructive and empowering session... (Check my Rave Report with Toya on South African Gqom here)

EVENING: DUBSTEP, DNB, JUNGLE, GARAGE, FOOTWORK

Coming back upstairs, night was upon us. Confronted by a growling wall of 140 bass, Dubstep legend Mala created a vibe that embodied everything I love most about a moody London rave. The strobe lighting turned electric blue and black: setting the tone for a meditative stomp to the syncopated rhythms and speaker-obliterating subs.

Stepping into the smoking area for quick a gulp of fresh air, we took in the panoramic landscape of industrial wasteland. Dirty yellow skips were piled on top of each other illuminated by floodlights, and shadowy tower blocks loomed in the background. Every time the event evolved, the concrete jungle would too: in flux with the changing faces of sound.

Then the rain started pouring down so we stepped back inside the rave. Lyzza and then India Jordan were playing hardcore bangers - guiding us into a mood of 90s rave euphoria.

This was the gateway into four solid hours of drum and bass, jungle and 160 excellence. Fabio brought the sophisticated sounds of drum and bass, then Mantra and Double O came through with their deep dark and tribal breaks, offset by uplifting, intelligent melodies.

Being in it for the long haul, we went downstairs to grab pizza. This was another moment of brilliance: having dinner at the back of FOLD listening to Mantra and Double O rinsing out. I thought to myself that life couldn’t get any better in that moment.

After that we were spoiled for choice with two icons of UK bass. In room two El-B was shelling down UKG classics. Contrasted by Sherelle in room one, doing what she does best with a turn-up 160 set; radiating stage presence. All finished off with a textured jungle set from 2 Bad Mice, who entered us into a very different shade of the rave: techno.

NIGHT: TECHNO, GRIME AND HIP HOP

This was the most interesting shift of all. Hordes of techno tribes poured in through the doors as surprise guest Ben Klock took to the stage. And suddenly the crowd completely changed. One of my favourite moments was seeing a man wearing a white sock over his face with a scientist jacket, a white wig, white trousers and shoes. He was grinding with a girl who looked like a vampire.

After pacing myself through the duration of the day, the next few hours became a blur. We descended into the techno dungeon and lost ourselves to the thumping, repetitive beats.

Then just as we were about to leave around 4am, we went to the bathroom and discovered the Tempo.LDN ‘micro rave’. The house party vibe and heavy grime, trap and hip hop selection gave us a second win of energy, calling for another rum or two. But after 16 hours of non-stop raving we all agreed it was time for a very long shower and sleep.

Trudging back to the tube through dirty gutters and bins in an industrial no-man’s-land, we saw the lights flickering outside what looked like an old derelict factory. It felt like we were back in the club. But before long Canning Town station was in front of us, and we tried hard not to fall asleep on the train and find ourselves in Stanmore.

Thankyou Resident Advisor for this multifaceted, extended love letter to London rave culture... For me, this was felt most deeply in the earlier sets, which shifted from garage to dubstep, drum and bass and jungle. But that’s my taste in music, and this was my experience. What I would especially love to see is the other half of the rave reported - the techno side - and how it progressed into the early hours and in the afternoon.

And if it was anything to go by the first half of the rave, then surely that would make Resident Advisor’s 24 7 experience the London rave of the year.

Rave Report: Resident Advisor 24 7

AFTERNOON: WORKSHOPS AND GARAGE

EVENING: DUBSTEP, DNB, JUNGLE, GARAGE, FOOTWORK

NIGHT: TECHNO, GRIME AND HIP HOP

And if it was anything to go by the first half of the rave, then surely that would make Resident Advisor’s 24 7 experience the London rave of the year.

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