News / / 29.11.13

The Hydra: James Holden, Luke Abbott + Daphni

Studio Spaces, London | November 23rd

Striding across Tower Bridge on a bitterly cold Saturday night venture to Wapping, the capital’s skyline makes for cinematic viewing. But we’re not exactly en route to an event which boasts your typical tourist appeal. Now in its sophomore year, The Hydra’s season of happenings occur at a variety of pop-up settings, handing over the reins to highly-respected labels including NonPlus, R&S Records and Border Community bill at Studio Spaces.

With an interior featuring suspending circular light rigs, mirrored walls and a sleek, neon-lit seating area adjoining; it was clear that tonight’s nine-hour, sell-out event would coil into the unforeseen. As label boss James Holden holds down the fort with a colossal five-hour opening session, expectancy rises high and rightfully so, 2013 spawned The Inheritors, his first release in seven years which retained his status as a ‘techno sorcerer’.

Admittedly, a good portion of the intoxicated crowd are craving dance floor-friendly beats, and it’s more recognisable tracks from the likes of Four Tet which snap their attention rather than the avant-garde electronica of a highly-respected producer such as Holden himself, who appears to make no compromises at all. Then comes Luke Abbott’s criminally-short session of a mere sixty-minutes; rich with deep-bass beats, impromptu on-the-spot techno teasers and a classic Radiohead finisher that, essentially, provides the most spine-tingling moment of the evening.

As the event unfolded, it seemed like a few of the little touches had been skimmed over. Sadly, the lighting rig we encountered never illuminated, and with a relatively sparse line-up stretched across so many hours, Daphni was handed the 7am ‘graveyard’ set time, therefore struggling keep the momentum going and reminding us that less isn’t always more.

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Words: Leah Connolly

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