Club review: KRUSH @ Hackney Down Studios with Petre Inspirescu and Praslea

Event Date: 28th January 2012

Words: Fiora Lopes

Doesn't time fly when your having fun.

Just shy of turning one year old in March and with some great line-ups ahead – including an exclusive performance from Detroit don Omar S – Krush has already established itself as a real player on the London party scene. If you haven’t yet, it’s time you familiarised yourself. Always trying to test new boundaries, the masters behind the madness didn't hold back on the penultimate showcase before they turn one, with a special back-to-back thrown down from Romanian stalwarts Petre Inspirescu and Praslea.

Always trying to keep their beloved followers on their toes by moving from club to club, tonight's setting is none other than Hackney Down Studios, a rather edgy warehouse that covers 80,000 square ft. Being as keen as I am to get there early (a KRUSH novice may I add) the place was already bouncing to the talents of the ever so reliable resident and co-founder Nikos. Sharp and to the point, Nikos developed a great crowd reaction throughout his four and half hour stint behind the booth. Very focused on creating a warm buzz for the headlining duo, Nikos certainly pleased the onlookers and youthful partygoers, with tracks from rising talents Clockwork and Life and Death being the pick of the bunch.

Settling into the mid hours was an absolute pleasure, not just because of the atmosphere Nikos had generated but also due to the installations and efforts made by the KRUSH family. Vintage lamps were placed round the edge of the dance floor creating just enough focus for the audience to admire, but subtle enough so they could concentrate on raising their hands to headliners for the evening. Added to that was a rare compliment to the bar, which I never say about any soiree. There were neither queues nor hassle, which goes to show how interested the crowd were in getting stuck into the main set...

Moving swiftly onto the main set, which saw Petre and Praslea go back to back for a few tracks each, warming themselves up with some Eastern European moves. Enjoying themselves with great intent, the crowd rapidly fed off their energy, switching from that of their techno roots right the way through to house and quickly back to techno. The duo tightly wove an extremely memorable set without having to blend in any of the beatport top 100. Certainly a rare entity these days... but definitely great to see... and hear.

With Krush two months shy of being a year to the good, they are definitely a brand to watch out for in 2012. Not to mention, this month sees Detroit legend Omar S take on the KRUSH masses in what is set to be their best event to date. And I'm certainly not one to argue.

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