Review: Metalheadz Blue Note Sunday Session

Drum and bass imprint Metalheadz relived one of its iconic Blue Note sessions at East London’s Village Underground on Sunday 14 July. The legendary Blue Note parties set the foundation for drum and bass' influence as a genre. Starting back in 1994, the parties nurtured the DJs and producers from that era who went on to represent the sound around the world.

The 2019 reunion saw original artists, Grooverider, Storm, DJ Lee and the night’s secret headliner Goldie make a return, alongside Special Request, Ant TC1 and a live performance from Paradox. Hosting the night was original Blue Note sessions MC and vocalist Cleveland Watkiss, alongside MC’s Blackeye and Codebreaker.

Opening the night was the dubplate hotshot DJ Lee, a selector known and respected amongst many of the top labels in drum and bass including 31 Recordings and Metalheadz. Lee’s set appropriately introduced the hard breakbeat and jungle sounds that Blue Note’s music was known for. He journeyed through old school drum and bass classics, warming up the room as the ravers began to pile in.

​Few artists come close to the level of intrigue and mystery surrounding the breakbeat enthusiast,Paradox. Originally from India, Paradox performs with a complex setup of a sampler, synthesizer, an analogue desk and computer. On the night he lived up to his high reputation as he orchestrated the 170bpm breaks, sub-heavy bass and deep pads together seamlessly. He turned his computer display towards the crowd and flawlessly played using just the sounds and controls in front of him. The baffling, dense layers of waveforms and code on his display further highlighted Paradox’s talent in performing and understanding the science of breakbeat. This was a set unlike any other.

Special Request is an alias ofPaul Woolford, an established artist from the dark depths of the techno scene. His newer pursuit covers a much rougher and raw venture into the sounds of drum and bass. He let loose his sound of lo-fi amen breaks with punchy analogue basslines. His music audibly took influence from his techno productions, laden hip-hop vocal samples and dark tones. His selection of breakbeat rhythms, DJing technique along with the host MC Blackeye, recreated the vibe of London’s early 90s illegal rave scene and pirate radio stations. The progressively louder crowd reactions and calls for reloads proved Special Request can spin drum and bass just as well as techno.

Next up, was the Metalheadz regular and Dispatch Recordings bossAnt TC1, accompanied by MC Codebreaker. Ant TC1 drew from his Metalheadz library, formed of the early tech drum and bass sound. Fittingly, he spun anthemic tracks straight from the Blue Note era, notably the Adam F’s timeless jungle beat ‘Circles’ and the hard-hitting screw face rhythm ‘See Red’ from Jonny L. These tracks have stood the test of time, sounding just as powerful in 2019 at Village Underground as they did in the 90s.

In the second half of the night, the influential drum and bass DJ and Metalheadz chief selector Storm graced the decks. Storm treated Village Underground to the sounds of hard and heavy old-school jungle before venturing into early techstep, riding through the many genres that developed in the original Blue Note nights. There was a constant upbeat flow in Storm’s mixing and the set reminded us why she was dubbed the ‘first lady in drum and bass’.

Even after 30 years in the game,Grooverider’ssets never fail to impress. This time round, Grooverider reached for the classics from his own Prototype Recordings Imprint. A standout track was Dillinja’s ‘Silver Blade’ a timeless tune composed of eerie celestial pads against a relentless jungle break and rolling bassline. Grooverider switched it up with tracks like ‘Tunnel Grinder’ as a nod to the early jump up drum and bass sound, another sub-genre which was commonly heard at Blue Note.

The special guest of the Blue Note Sunday Session was none other than the Metalheadz founding father,Goldie. Globally recognized for pioneering Jungle and Drum and Bass in the UK, it was fitting to have the legendary DJ perform at the Blue Note reunion. Goldie’s set took the crowd on a journey through his monumental 90s albums ‘Inner City Life’, ‘Timeless’ and the Saturn LPs. His selection was a blend of jazz-influenced jungle and liquid rhythms, more melodic and soulful than what was heard during the earlier sets.

The Blue Note original MC,Cleveland Watkisslent his sweet-sounding vocal prowess over Grooverider and Goldie’s sets. Watkiss is an award-winning jazz vocalist who like Goldie, was awarded an MBE for his contributions to music. At Village Underground he lyricized the breakbeat rhythms, letting his voice run wild with rhymes and adlibs. Having worked with so many artists in the game including Break, Halogenix, Calibre, and DJ Marky, Watkiss’ experience as a performer really showed.

The night was a rare glimpse into a seminal club night in jungle and drum and bass history, which celebrated the legacy of this monumental event. The night was a nostalgic reunion for many original Blue Note ravers and an insight into drum and bass’ making for today’s younger generation as the crowd were taken back to 1994. The DJ and vocalist combinations gave the music a different flavour and it was something to be experienced and felt instead of just listened to. 

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Photography - bobbyvmedia / freefromsleep