Kaluki presents Solomun and Dubfire at Albert Hall review

Image: Jack Kirwin

Kaluki treated Manchester to two heavy-weights of the techno scene last Friday, as Dubfire and Solomun took to the decks at the incredible Albert Hall. The conversion of this great Cathedral like structure is so well suited to this sort of musical extravaganza, beaconing hedonistic clubbers from around the country to unite for this sell-out techno spectacular.

Kaluki stalwarts Pirate Copy and Pete Zorba had the tough job of opening the show, warming up the cogs for the arrival of the headliners. One of the most challenging jobs of any DJ is to get the crowd revved up and pumping, without over stepping and exploding the proverbial load before the main acts arrive.

The pair truly hit the musical nail on the head. Provocative sequences, sub-heavy drums and controlled upsurges flirted with the arriving crowd. A cold, dark, October night on the Manc streets soon flooded in to the fiery techno furnace within the cavernous hall. 

The night tore on and the minimal techno god Ali Dubfire took over as the clock struck midnight. Dubfire definitely needs no introduction; his forward-thinking musical dexterity has been at the forefront of electronic music scene for years. The crowd roared as Dubfire’s deep and dark introduction lingered and seeped through the hall before he unleashed the first thunderous drum, reverberating through the Wesleyan chapel.

Dubfire whipped the crowd up in an underground melting pot of sounds. Playing his dark, trippy remix of Plastikman’s EX compilation, 'Exposed' (below), the crowd lapped up every minute of this shadowy, multi-dimensional showcase.

Half one in the morning - enter Solomun. The Diynamic music head honcho seized the decks and immediately made an unforgettable impact on the already inflated crowd. Undercatt’s remix of the infamous anthem 'Sweet Disposition' filled the room in harmony with the crowd’s elated and unified bellowing voice.

The time for whimpering the illustrious words to the nearest stranger was short lived as Solomun dropped a viscous techno kick and hauled the vibe back down the dark and menacing path. 

Revellers were treated to an aural extravaganza that was further enriched as the two hit it back to back for the final, power-charged hour. With the tone lowered, they worked into the darkness of the early hours, as the two thrust the crowd into a mind-bending trance-like state.

All in all, the night was a solid techno feast and massive success. The crowd left beaming, revved up and hungry for more at after parties across the city.  

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