| The dark ambient vibes of the suitably named Dark Network were warming up proceedings in the main room, and it's probably fair to say that sounds of such an experimental nature are rarely heard in the confines of Viva. A few cautious punters were attempting to groove away on the dance floor, but the sounds of Dark Network are best-contemplated on a cold winter's day in a secluded room as you fight the effects of last night's chemical binge and wonder if the world really is as fucked-up as it seems at the moment. Or perhaps not.....
It wasn't until B(if)tek took the stage that the floor really started to heat up, as people emerged from all points of the club to show their appreciation. Equipped with an arsenal of mixers, samplers, sequencers, the squelchy madness of the Roland 303 (and for all you trainspotters, we're talking TB-, not MC-) and the equally powerful 505, Kate Crawford and Nicole Skeltys whipped the surprisingly small crowd into a frenzy with a relentless selection of beats and breaks. The oriental quirkiness of "Japanese Game Show" popped up second song in, but from then on their trademark electronic noodlings were eschewed in favour of a far more booming kick drum and bassline propelled flavour. Kate and Nicole's New Romantic style attire was immaculate and their stage presence infectious, and the crowd were whooping with delight as the girls went off on stage. And they had the tunes to match their enthusiasm - "We Think You're Dishy", with it's melting 303 bassline and "B(if)tek Corporation" vocal sample stormed the dancefloor, while another number took the rhythm of the Theme from Dr Who and some equally eerie sounds to a peak which had this punter wishing it would never end. But unfortunately it had to end somewhere. For B(if)tek however, I sense this is just the beginning..... ~Kris Swales~ |
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