Zutekh Presents: Mall Grab/Special Request/Lone
Johnny James, Managing Editor
Kicking off in September 2020, the next season of The Warehouse Project seems a painfully long time away. But you didn’t think they’d leave us high and dry, did you?
To tide over Manchester’s restless revellers, the clubbing institution has announced an off-season event series, which will take place in Concourse, Mayfield Depot’s second room. The whole run looks great, but its crown jewel is Mall Grab, Special Request, Lone, Eclair Fifi and Gigi FM.
Top of the bill, Jordan Alexander AKA Mall Grab is a young Australian producer and DJ who’s been tearing it up in London for a good few years now. Exploring the roots of house and techno, his early releases were subdued and low-fi, before becoming more extroverted in recent years. His latest EP, Growing Pains, is filled with pummelling, ravey techno – a club weapon perfectly suited to the intimate Concourse room. Check out his recent Boiler Room set below for a glimpse of what to expect (it’s since transpired that nearly every track heard is unreleased Mall Grab!).
Second in command in Concourse will be Leeds native Paul Woolford AKA Special Request, a resident selector at WHP. The meeting place of nostalgia and futurism, his music has been a staple of the electronic underground for 15 years. Receiving rave reviews across the board, his latest album Offworld is inspired by the unruly conventions of UK pirate radio stations and fuses fierce techno and 80’s synth fun. If this delicious space odyssey is at all predictive of the set he’s going to pull out of the bag at Concourse, we’re in for a good time.
In addition to Mall Grab and Special Request, Lone is another massive draw. The Nottingham-born producer first caught ears with his abstract, hip hop-leaning albums Lemurian (2008) and Ecstasy & Friends (2009). Moving towards a more dance-orientated sound, his follow-ups pre-empted the breakbeat revival that’s still flourishing today, with 2016’s Levitate being a particular standout. Stepping one foot further into the rave, his latest EP Abraxis has got us very excited about the set he’s planning for Concourse.
With additional heat coming in the form of Eclair Fifi’s big-hearted house and GiGi FM’s Detroit trap, this night’s shaping up to be a special one.
