Soulwax '2 Many DJs' Play Fabric
Dewaele Brothers Electro DJs Play with Cold Cut in London Superclub
Despite the excitement surrounding the event, the live set failed to live up to the promise and popularity of the best-selling album 'As Heard on Radio Soulwax Part 2.'
The landmark album ‘As Heard on Radio Soulwax Part 2,’ released back in February 2003, transformed the Dewaele brothers, who also perform under the name Soulwax, from small-time DJs into popular electro DJs with invites to perform at some of the biggest venues in the world and regular repeats on BBC’s Radio 1.
The CD’s originality is characterised by the diversity of the tracks which are mixed together, such as Royksopp with Dolly Parton and the shortness of each extract that allows the heavy, mash-up vibe to be sustained through 45 tracks.
London super-club Fabric is hardly a stranger to well-known DJs but although advance tickets often sell out a few days before the anticipated event, they rarely attract enough attention to do so over a week in advance.
The city, it seemed, could not resist the lure of Soulwax’s 2 Many DJs performing on the same night as Cold Cut and Simian Mobile Disco in one of the most popular dance music clubs.
The sell-out crowd queued for several hours in order to get into the popular London venue, with ticket-less hopefuls stretching far back around the corner towards the tube station. In this excitement, the words ‘2 Many DJs’ were whispered frequently as it became apparent just who they were waiting to see.
The anticipation was carried inside, transforming the venue into a restless and gig-like atmosphere. However, enjoyment was slightly offset by overcrowding in the main room at Fabric as a seemingly above-capacity crowd jammed themselves onto the dance floor to bop to the superstar DJs.
There were flashes of brilliance offered up by the Belgian duo, most noticeably in an extended remix of the Vitalic/Adult mash-up and a new techno inspired version of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Faster, Stronger.”
Unusually for an electro night, however, the crowd were waiting for songs and lyrics they knew which gave the dance club and unfortunate pop-act vibe. Despite the originality and ingenuity of the album, the live set had a sickly sweet feel as fans clamoured for tunes they could recognise.
Although the still deserve acclaim for their consummate remix skills, the 2 Many DJs night at Fabric couldn’t help but feel like a lesson in dance music for beginners despite the rather obscure minimal techno that was later played by Simian Mobile Disco and a high-quality live set from electro-punk band Cut Copy. The reputation of the Belgian brothers seems to have become synonymous with a catchy music scene not unlike what is represented in hit teenage TV show ‘Skins’ rather than with quality electronic beats and their effort was a mirror of this.
2 Many DJs provided an enjoyable night out but, surprisingly, the same ‘catchiness’ which has helped sell thousands of records and downloads across the globe proved detrimental to their live performance.
