Review: Hospitality @ Brixton 02 Academy with Camo & Krooked

Date: September 30th 2011

Words: Tom Mullett

Packing out the Brixton 02 academy is a task that would have the majority of promoters breaking out into cold sweats, but after smashing the venue twice previously with mind blowing Drum & Bass parties, it would appear that the Hospital Records crew possess the panache and know-how to take on such a mammoth feat. 

This time round marked a particularly special occasion for two of Hospital’s latest young signings, Camo & Krooked. The Austrian duo is spending the month of October celebrating the release of their debut album on the label after signing back in December of last year. To add to the fun, Danny Byrd was presenting his take on live performance, following a boundary breaking year for Drum & Bass and Hospital Records. His 2010 album “Rave Digger” has drawn a whole new generation of ravers to the label that celebrated its 15th birthday earlier this year at the even older South London venue.

With all of this new material on display, the night actually kicked off by looking back to the roots of this music with DJ Zinc rolling through a classic jungle set filled with tunes that defined an era of inspiring bass music. Up next was Danny Byrd who took up the role of a 21st century one man band, masterfully taking control of his music, re-working some of his biggest tunes, as well presenting the buzzing Brixton masses with a taste of his latest work. Live sets can often be a hard one to master, with many becoming rather stagnant, failing to replicate the energy found in the traditional DJ set. This was not the case for Danny Byrd. His set demonstrated what a talented musician he really is, with his unique style and creativity shinning through his captivating performance.

London Elektricity is renowned for exploring the many different sounds of Drum & Bass in his DJ sets. This time round was no different with Mr Colman delving deep into the realms of sub-bass, climbing high through a myriad of melodic timbres and at times, smashing the place to bits with the obliterating drum stampede of tracks such as “War Machine” by Reso. Preceded by a fascinating start of old and new, London Elek switched up proceedings with a thoroughly enjoyable taster of what is going well is today’s Drum & Bass community.

By now, Brixton was practically bursting at the seams and as the head honcho stepped aside it was time for the second live show of the night to grab the attention of those in the main room. Raised above the crowd in a cylindrical cage that illuminated the entire stage with a cleverly synchronized light display, accompanied by the likes of TC and Ayah Marar, and equipped with their latest album of bangers; Camo & Krooked turned the place on its head with a barrage of punchy dancefloor constructions. The duo is going to be performing at a number of regional Hospitalities this month, so if you can get yourself a ticket, for christ’s sake go and see them.

The night was signed, sealed and delivered by the remaining Hospital team, with sets by Netsky and High Contrast firmly cementing Hospitality at Brixton academy as one of the highlights in the venue’s calendar.

Very few labels can boast such a consistent display of creativity when it comes to putting together a live music event, and with more and more talented artists finding themselves on the Hospital Records roster, it is no surprise that Hospitalities are now a force to be reckoned with on the live music circuit.

See upcoming Camo & Krooked events and buy tickets 

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