With residencies in Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire and Glasgow’s Sub Club, FLY CLUB is currently one of Scotland’s most dynamic promoters. With the likes of Omar S, Joris Voorn, David August and Barnt all spinning for them since their creation in 2013 it is clear that they are capable of booking unquestionable talent. This was no different last Friday as they flew in the Berlin based duo Mind Against to the Scottish capital.
On warm up duty was FLY’s main resident and Moda Black protégé, Theo Kottis, who set the mood with his deep, emotive sounds. He played ambient house and techno stabs such as Kollektiv Turmstrasse’s Ordinary with Lake People on the remix, which occupied the room with warmth. Tracks such as this both depict Kottis’ sound and proved to be especially fitting for this set.
The Italian brothers, Mind Against, consisting of Alessandro and Federico Fognini, took charge of controls around 1am with a packed dancefloor thanks to Kottis. Even though Kottis did a stellar job of warming up the main room and mimicking the sound of Mind Against, that first drop from the Italians makes you aware they are now in control. As they were warming in, tracks such as Nina Kraviz remix of Keep on Lying by Jessie Ware were filling the room with energy. Its repetitive vocal and rough, echoing claps built a spacey hypnotic vibe. Quivering keys and dreamy pads were constantly present throughout their set, which built on that mystical, ominous vibe within the room. As the tempo and intensity increased, the duo dropped more melodic and rhythmic techno cuts such as Efdemin’s Lohn & Brot. Nearing the end of their set we were hearing colossal thunder thrusts of bass and emotion-drenched tracks such as Mind Against & Locked Groove’s Elysium - bringing an end to the musical journey.
Mind Against’s sound is undoubtedly enthralling, unique, and one that requires an on-point soundsystem to hear the full potential - something that unfortunately has not been provided by Cabaret Voltaire on my past few visits. For this reason, along with Mind Against’s provocative style, it was possibly hard for some people to appreciate their sound and this became more apparent during the last hour of the set when the dancefloor was slightly more spacious. Their set incorporated facets of IDM along with melancholic house and techno that ensured the remaining crowd were kept on their toes until the end.
WORDS | Ramsay Muir PHOTOGRAPHY | David Wilkinson
