Much like its brand of raucous Hard Techno, Reboot presents Outset made its presence felt loud and clear in 2023. The Irish outfit took Tuesday nights at Eden by storm this summer.
Having smashed its own closing party back in September, full command of Eden's Closing Party on Thursday 5 October was placed in the hands of the Outset crew. It was a duty thoroughly deserved. The ultimatum presented was clear: go hard or go home.
Obviously, I dismissed the latter and headed straight for the dancefloor for a solo clubbing adventure.
I've experience my fair share of House, Trance and even Hip-Hop parties at Eden, but a Hard Techno night was new territory. Honestly, I was taken back by Eden's industrial rave capabilities. The wrap-around LED visuals and tiered level layout lent itself perfectly.
Vibes? Check.
Outset's weekly resident Blk. (pictured above) led the charge, wasting no time in getting down and gritty. The Irish front-runner has gained huge traction in the last couple of years and you only had to look at the bouncing crowd to understand why. The energy was off the chart.
A nod to his summer stomping ground, Blk. closed out his set with York's Ibiza classic On The Beach, revamped with an uncompromising Techno beat, of course.
Over to Charlie Sparks, another name who has exploded onto the scene. He made his entrance with Dizzy Rascal's Bonkers. As you can imagine, this was a certified knock-out with partygoers.
Thanks to the attentive Eden team, I had a VIP table and drinks package all to myself. Sure, I could have happily hung out there all night, but I had other plans. One of the fun parts of solo clubbing is doing what you want, when you want. Room two was calling.
Reboot DJs, MD Duffy and Jamie Harris, who have helped smash Outset's maiden summer were rightfully behind the decks dishing out the tunes. Still in keeping with Outset's heavy sound, room two diversified the night with more House-leaning selections of equal intensity.
Having already welcomed top names such as Frazi.er and Hannah Laing, the night's special guest was going to be intriguing. You can imagine my excitement to find fellow Scot LaLa killing it. Although there weren't as many bodies on the dancefloor, her sets never disappoint.
Back in the Main Room, Italian duo 999999999 slapped down ferocious Acid Techno cuts. Their thunderous beats had ravers hooked and there were even some outbreaks of shuffling.
You can bet that there were very few signs of phones in the air. It felt like everyone was in the moment and here for the music.
Just like that, Eden bows out on another epic season. After a brief pause for Amsterdam Dance Event, you can expect a winter programme most weekends until late December.
Props must go to Outset for an unforgettable send-off. No need to wait to see if these two forces come together for 2024. Interestingly, Eden's Closing Party was also billed as 2024's Launch Party. Outset seemingly doing more than enough to earn an invitation back next summer.
Keep on eye on this party. As European trends move to faster, more pumping dance music, Outset is primed to capitalise.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by La Skimal
