DJ Mag Presents Amelie Lens + Effy review @ The Underground review

Hailing from Belgium and having achieved worldwide fame, the headliner of this event needs no introduction. Techno music giant Amelie Lens stopped in Bristol for a one-off show with DJ Mag and Dance Corp during the May Bank Holiday, marking the first in an exciting series of ten shows planned for the spring and summer season at The Underground. The club has just opened and, as the name suggests, it is literally under the ground, located beneath The Galleries shopping centre in Bristol and with a capacity of 2,700 people. Fresh from an explosive Boiler Room debut in Sydney, numerous hit releases (including ‘iluv’ and ‘Stone’) and her latest EP ‘The Highest Level’ published last October via Steel City Dance Discs, Effy joined Amelie Lens on the stage as supporting act. The line-up was also completed by local Bristolian superstars R. Nev and Kankofski.

The pulsating bass lines were already audible as one started to descend into the sprawling subterranean car park. Kankofski and R. Nev warmed up the dancefloor before Effy took control of The Underground at midnight. The UK producer and DJ gained a lot of attention in the past couple of years, and her name has been featured on some of the most exciting line-ups and events around the globe. Her set in Bristol was a testament to her well-deserved recognition from the dance music scene. Seamlessly blending different genres, such as rave-inspired tunes with elements from rock and DnB, her mixing was pure energy and kept the crowd moving during the peak time of the night.

Unexpected drops alternated with carefully crafted crescendos of intensity and rhythms: Effy’s set was dynamic and unpredictable, fun and with something for all tastes (even if the main focus was on techno). The British DJ effectively led the crowd to the right levels of stamina to welcome the star of the night, Amelie Lens, and her dark and captivating sound.

The Belgian DJ and international superstar was greeted by joyful applause from the packed crowd before she even started playing. She took her closing duties very seriously and got straight down to business, picking up where Effy left off. One of the many good things about Amelie Lens is that she can effectively read a room: While maintaining her signature sound and intensity, she adapted her style to the intimate setting of The Underground, demonstrating her huge range as an artist. Despite having played at the biggest events in the globe throughout her career, Amelie Lens maintains a deeply underground soul that shines in club nights like the one that took place in Bristol.

Her mixing was a unique blend of old classics and EDM bangers, creating a euphoric atmosphere that kept the venue full and the crowd dancing until the very end. One particular track that drove everyone crazy was a remix of ‘Wolves’ by Selena Gomez and Marshmello, which the DJ expertly mixed with her signature heavy bass lines. When the night finished at 4am, the crowd was not ready to leave: everyone started cheering and begging for more, showing all their love to Amelie Lens and displaying how she could have easily kept playing for several more hours without anyone getting tired of her music.

The event was a great start to The Underground’s highly anticipated new series of nights in Bristol, and the crowd’s response showed how much the city needs a place like this. The artists who participated demonstrated, once again, their respectable positions in the dance music scene and their incredible skills.

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