Commix's Re:Call To Mind remix album has been one of the most eagerly anticipated electronic music albums of the last decade, already receiving critical acclaim from the independent and mainstream music press. We were expecting the album launch party to be as musically rich and diverse as the album itself and we definitely weren't disappointed.
    
A last minute venue change from East London's Rich Mix loft-spaces to London's Corsica Studios in Elephant & Castle did nothing but heighten the anticipation for the night, and after hearing Four Tet and Henrik Schwarz play there last week and tear the soundsystem to pieces, Corsica was always going to be a great replacement. There's a certain something about Corsica that transcends a dirty squat party vibe, grimy corridors, underground vibes and a Funktion One soundsystem that can handle basslines with the best of them just seemed the perfect fit for the Re:Call To Mind LP launch.

The line-up on the night mirrored the musical diversity so apparent on the album, combining some of electronic music's most revered DJs from techno, drum & bass and dubstep. From longtime Berghain resident and techno luminary Marcel Dettmann playing a three hour set, to the sounds of Autonomic maestros Instra:mental, Hessle Audio's Pangaea and up-and-coming producer Pedestrian all alongside Commix, this was without doubt one of the  most diverse and eclectic line-ups London's seen in years. This was something quite special.

We entered to an to an already packed dancefloor with Pangaea playing a varied set featuring trademark Hessle Audio beats, latest offerings from Scuba which sounded as good as ever in there, as well as a host of more ambiguous dark and twisted beats. It was already clear from here that all the hype, all the excitement and all the panic in getting to the venue were going to be well worth it.

It's 1am and as the crowd's cheers and clapping dies down for Pangaea, up steps one half of Instra:mental, Damon Drama, to take to the decks, opening with a track featuring a haunting 'overdose' vocal hook which received a raucous reception when it dropped. Taking us through past, present and future sounds floating around 140bpm, Instra:mental's set oozed class and style. It's hard to categorise all the tracks they're playing at the moment, whether it be more Autonomic sounding beats or the techno vibes from Al Bleek's alias, Boddika. One thing was clear-cut on the night; there wasn't a single raver on the dancefloor who wasn't appreciating their selection.

2am and the room one dancefloor starts to swell, a rush of smokers crowd in through the tiny fire exit, it's time for Commix. That's back-to-back Commix, George and Guy, playing one of the best sets we've heard in a long time. Not only was the Re:Call To Mind LP launch a chance to showcase the artists that make the album so special, but also a new techno-influenced side to Commix's production and DJ sets. There wasn't a single drum & bass track to be heard anywhere, but that didn't matter. If anything it made it even better, cementing Commix as more than just 'drum & bass' DJs, but as electronic music masters, as versatile and diverse as the artists that grace their album.

Following Commix was techno heavyweight, Marcel Dettmann. A resident at legendary Berlin club, Berghain for more than a decade and with a string of releases on their seminal Ostgut Ton label, Dettmann was a fitting selection to close the Re:Call To Mind party. As a DJ he was phenomenal, educating us in techno through fat, stripped-back drums, throbbing low frequency basslines and  mind-blowing synths and keeping all of the crowd on the dancefloor right up until the lights came up at 6am.

In all, it was a great night and a great celebration for an album that despite being years in the making, was without doubt, truly worth the wait. It's a pioneering, inspired and delving look into the modern electronic music landscape. Listen to the album from start to finish and you'll be taken on a journey that obliterates genre definitions, sounds different every time and truly cements Commix as talented craftsmen of the modern age.

Words: Matt Brawn

 

Related Links:

• Commix - Re:Call To Mind Remix LP
• Commix Interview
• Review: Sinister Sound, Toronto
• Review: Sinister Sound, Toronto
• Free Commix Remix

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