Words: Louisa Chaib
Although this time was punctuated by an early October fresher’s event at The Social, the events feel most at home at the Pickle Factory with its low ceilings and sharp sound system providing the ideal environment for a close-up experience of the music. The last time Pickle Factory hosted Rare Cuts x Savage Sounds was February 2019, doubtless making it a hazy memory in the minds of many attendees. Thankfully, the return to the Pickle Factory on October 22nd served as a perfect reminder of all the reasons why the events have become so popular so quickly.
One of these reasons - and perhaps the defining characteristic of the events - is their eclectic nature; because the intention is to provide a platform to new and up-and-coming DJs regardless of genre or experience, there is always a wide variety of talent on offer. This time around, a fair few of the performers were making their London venue debuts, including TRF 40 and Telete with others, including Northern Roots, DJ Dad Bod and VIP Mix Residents returning to Rare Cuts x Savage Sounds after previous successful performances.
ELAHI!
Elahi! started off the night in Room 1, providing disco and funk tunes entirely on vinyl, a skill to be respected and one that adds more diversity to the Rare X Savage DJs. ELAHI!'s set carried us from when the doors opened at 9pm for one hour, setting the tone for the evening. Next up in Room 1 was CHAR, returning to DJing after a hiatus to up the ante and grace the Pickle Factory with some 90s style house and garage as more people began to arrive between 10 and 11pm. At 11, Room 2 opened up with a set from veteran Northern Roots while newcomer TRF 40 took CHAR's place in Room 1. As Room 1 began to fill out, TRF 40 played a high energy, self-assured mix of electronica and Northern Roots gifted Room 2 with a reggae based set.
Telete
Telete followed on from TRF 40 at midnight, selecting high-octane house and techno for her London debut to carry Room 1 into the early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, Rare X Savage regular DJ Dad Bod began his set in Room 2, his fun and highly danceable disco proving to be as successful a send-off to the night as his previous performances would have suggested.
VIP Mix Residents
VIP Mix Residents closed off the night in Room 1 with some experimental, often ambient techno and their trademark unpredictability made them an intuitive choice for ending a night like Rare X Savage, as the atmosphere and attendees seem to be at their best when the DJs offer the unconventional.
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