Decay Records, one of London’s hottest underground labels has been moving from strength to strength. With their ethos to push hypnotic vibes to the crowd, they’ve clearly found their sound and, as we found, they love to blare it through sound systems across the globe. Following their event at 93 Feet East, Decay have gone on to host events at Shoreditch Platform and, Lion & Lamb, however their next showcase found the brand taking things up a notch at Room one of the world famous Fabric Ldn. The event formed part of the club’s new ‘Fabric on Sunday’s’ programme that also boasts Steppin’ Motion, Our House, and Want? Records.
Since the launch of Decay Records in 2013, the label has championed a vast library of stripped-back, dubby beats. Their carefully considered sound is centred around an ethos of diving deep and focusing on what they deem quality, well thought out music rather than following the current trends in an attempt to stay relevant – which many brands are guilty of. Overseen by DJ and producer Davide Zeta; one half of DZeta N Basile, the label has grown year-on-year with a series of productions under it’s belt from the likes of Saytek, Neverdogs, Hector, and Nathan Barato.
The line-up was refreshing to see; full of underground artists and complemented with Cocoon starlet Dana Ruh. Having been a driving force of stripped-back house for number of years, this party looked to demonstrate the London-based outfit’s unique sound on one of the capital’s biggest stages.
For more info on the venue itself, including production, sound and drink prices check out one of our previous Fabric reviews.
DJ sets
Daisybelle b2b James O’Connell
First up, as we entered room 1 was Daisybelle b2b James O’Connell, following a pace setting opening set from Albi, Kego and Lieu. Daisybelle, originally from Puerto Rico, moved to the UK to immerse herself in the London nightlife but is still heavily influenced by worldly soulful sounds, disco & deep US style house tinged with South American flavour. It was exciting to see her play b2b with homegrown talent James O’Connell, an underground house and techno DJ locked & loaded with grooves to kickstart the night.
From the outset, these two brought raw and funky minimal beats to room 1. The bass really thumped through the system, punching your chest, as the music progressively got more tribal and the deeper dubbier sounds came out. Licks of acid were also heard throughout the set, lifting the crowds hands in the air as the red lasers darted above. One of these tracks, ‘Acid Dreams’, by Daisybelle really took the crowd by storm. Out on Oblack, this was one of the standout tracks of the b2b set. Their performance really brought out the groovy side of minimal, perfectly setting up the crowd for Dana Ruh b2b Igor Vicente to dazzle the crowd during peak hours.
Dana Ruh b2b Igor Vicente
Taking the first 30 minutes on her own, Cocoon regular Dana Ruh is no stranger to the world’s top stages, having featured across the globe for a number of years. The Berlin based DJ/producer quickly pulled us into the performance with a string of seductive, dub-laced beats which really got the crowd moving.
Half an hour in, and now at 1.30am up-stepped Igor Vicente to the booth. A respected DJ, producer and label owner, the Belgian born artist has featured on a number of different labels between house & techno including Saved, Hot Creations, Mobilee and of course, Decay. His versatile playing style and diverse library of tracks was made clear from the outset, dipping between various sub genres of house and tech. The piano-laden melodies of ‘Forever Pimpin’ by Joss Moog being a standout track which took us by surprise. As the two continued b2b further twists and turns continued, constantly switching up the pace and keeping the crowd on their toes.
Davide Decay b2b Max
Closing the night was none other than Decay Records boss himself, Davide Zeta, b2b with Max. Having embedded the label’s sound into his sets, Davide’s performance at Fabric oozed that hypnotic, smoky tone which Decay has become known for. Combined with close friend and head honcho of London club night party Bread & Butter, The two set up camp in the Room One booth for the show’s grand finale.
Tracks such as ‘Biology 2’ by Mihai Popoviciu reverberated off the walls in the underground space. With the record due to be released on Decay Records later this year, the night acted as a perfect road test. Other notable tracks included an Anjunadeep hit by 16 bit Lolitas titled ‘In My Soul’. The echoing vocals left the room in a state of trance as we drew to the final moments of a truly memorable night for Decay Records.
Overall
A refreshing and quality addition to Fabric’s already impressive event roster, which demonstrates their commitment to all corners of the electronic music world by providing a platform for the underground music realm. Decay grasped the milestone opportunity with both hands and showcased their hypnotic and distinct sound in the one of the most famous club rooms in the world. Who knows what’s next for the brand. 7.5/10
Image credit : Jan Bernet
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