Thursday nights are always a dangerous night to put on a party. Sure, there’s the whole ‘Thursdays are the new Friday’ mantra, but usually this is chanted by those who are a) under the age of 25 and b) in possession of that rare ability to be able to drink their own bodyweight in alcohol, sleep for less than 4 hours and bounce out of bed with a sunny smile on their faces and an unquenchable work-ethic between their ears. Sufficed to say that not many people we know fall into this enviable category, and this added to the fact that October has been a particularly long month for those of us on a monthly pay-bracket, meant that there were a few sweaty palms at Defected HQ ahead of last night’s second secret shindig.
Proceedings were kicked off by distinctively diminutive form of Maya Jane Coles, who slammed straight into the business end of a driving, wobbly, techy set that had everyone who likes their house a little darker than the usual Defected blend nodding appreciatively into their fast-vanishing pints of Asahi. Ending with her own, stunning ‘What They Say’, by the time she had slipped out from behind the decks the room was throbbing and thronging in equally contented measure.
Next to provide the musical nourishment was Studio Apartment’s Masa, who must have been struggling to make out where the decks were, let alone whether anyone was actually dancing, clad as he was in his trademark dark glasses despite the shadowy surroundings. Happily for him though, by the time he was a few tracks into his set there were more than enough bodies shifting rhythmically in front of the booth for him to be left in no doubt that his set was being well received. Copyright’s ‘Nobody’ slipped effortlessly into his own ‘Your Words’ featuring the effervescent vocals of Rae and his allotted hour eased past us in fine form. And by happy coincidence (or premeditated poetic licence; your choice) it was Rae herself that was next up on the wheels of plastic-coated steel; mic in one hand, with the other almost permanently raised to the low ceiling above her head, layering her commanding vocals over a pounding set of firm beats and flickering basslines.
By the time headliner DJ Gregory took control of the CDJs, the small room was packed and jumping; a dangerous combination for someone with, say, a pocketful of fireworks looking for some pre-bonfire night mischief, but the perfect blend for an hour of thumping house and disco classics, which the French maestro was only too happy to provide. The efforts of all three previous performers had created an fantastic vibe, and Gregory’s sublime closing set moved from classic house, through dubby beats and uplifting disco, highlights of which included Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley’s ‘The Word is Love’ and Cher’s ‘Take Me Home’, which incidentally is the only thing a certain member of the Defected staff could mumble once Gregory had finished, having lost a particularly brutal fight with two pints of lager and a vicious gang of Tequila shots.
All in all in was a night of high spirits, good music and a whole lot of love; with all sweaty-palmed pre-party fears proved unnecessary. The Thursday night party spirit certainly seems to be alive and kicking, in East London at least. Keep your eyes and ears open and you might even get an invite to the next one…
Words: Greg Sawyer
Defected In The House mixes by Studio Apartment & Rae is out now
DJ Gregory Paris Luanda is out 10th November and watch out for House Masters DJ Gregory, dropping 6th December
