Ketoloco Seventh Birthday Part Two @ Mint Club, Leeds - review

With weather forecasters predicting some of the coldest conditions for sixty years in the UK, it was a sweaty, energy packed night in Leeds' Mint Club for seven years of Ketoloco, that left everyone going home with a different kind of chill. There was a big buzz around for the return of the 'Loco gang to the city where it all began seven years before with a bunch of friends throwing infamous high-intensity afterparties in underground basements all across the city.   

It was no quiet opening as Leeds local Matt Fear eased the night into the celebrations with a packed hour of nu-disco house tunes laced with atmospheric string and piano samples and a big helping of thumping bass throughout. As the last few of the crowd streamed in through the doors, it was time for the hotly anticipated Mario Basanov to take control of the Mint Club decks. With a catalogue of releases on big labels like Innervisions and Under The Shade, Basanov is a highly respected producer in the business and he is worthy of every accolade he gets.

A versatile, colourful array of electronica and disco had the crowd's energy charging with the mix of slow and fast tempos. The two hour set provided a unique and exhilarating take on darker sounds from the Lithuanian house-prodigy, dropping pop-infused techno tracks like his own 'Changed' (above) for a perfect meeting of mainstream and underground music. 

Sweat began to drip off the ceiling as we became fully fired up for the arrival of headlining Italian duo, Tale of Us. The pair came bearing a gift to the Ketoloco celebrations in the form of a true musical journey through the emotional depths of electronic and a sinister Balearic flair, that has rightfully earned them prestigious spots at Circoloco at DC10 and ENTER in Ibiza this summer.

Dark, seductive tribal melodies built up towards addictive pulses of bass in songs like their remix of Maceo Plex's 'Can't Leave You,' that had the mighty Funktion One soundsystem sending shockwaves from front to back. The Italian duo showed an incredible work ethic in their focus to the set and they treated the crowd to unreleased material of brassier, more futuristic sounds, that showed why they really challenge all the conventions in their own niche of dance-music.

A sea of hands began to raise as that oh so familiar percussion riff of their summer smasher 'Another Earth' started to creep through the speakers. Mint Club witnessing live the slow-building drop of this incredibly complex yet strikingly eerie symphony under the neon flashes of the LED ceiling was definitely worth every penny. Tale of Us truly showcased to Leeds their constantly evolving sound in breaking all the rules of house and techno music, topping off what has been an incredible year for this hard-working duo. 

As the crowd showed no intention of tiring at 5am, the residents made sure the underground beats spilled over into the early hours of Saturday morning and showed that even seven years on, the Ketoloco crew can still pride themselves on bringing an unrivalled and original atmosphere in a city that is all about bringing music and friends together.

Ketloco return with Mario Basanove for NYE.

Fancy checking out the Mint Club for yourself? Head here for all their upcoming events. 

Struggling for ideas for New years Eve? Check out our New Years Eve guide here.