Deviation v3.2

  Deviation is Benji B’s long-running midweek bass bash that has been a staple of the beats & bass scene for a while now and always features eclectic line-ups with the best selectors from across the spectrum. Over the course of three years, the night has seen the likes of Madlib, Floating Points, Dâm-Funk and Actress all grace the decks. offering their own take on house, bass and techno. Benji has recently made the move from 1Xtra to take over Mary Ann Hobbs’ Experimental Show on Radio 1; further cementing his importance in showcasing what bass music has to offer and as a lynchpin of the U.K scene in general.
 
Deviation’s third birthday celebrations take place over two nights; the first party took place earlier this month at the night’s home, Gramaphone, and featured the US’ turntable genius J.Rocc. Tonight’s second party, held at South London’s Cable, is set to maintain the party’s diverse music policy with sets from Hyperdub boss Kode 9 and Detroit techno legend Theo Parish. So with a line-up like that, it’s only right that we went down to check it out.
 
Getting to Cable for around midnight, we’re in time to catch the final hour of the main man Benji B’s set. Walking into the main room we’re instantly greeted by Lone’s superb Pineapple Crush; filled with deep house vibes, cutting 808 percussion and the whole crowd already going for it. The track gets the first pull-up of the night. Benji moves forward with the set, taking us on a journey through deep and soulful house, the deeper side of UK funky, some more industrial house and techno and all that falls between. The whole set is pretty much flawless from start to finish and it’s pure bliss to listen to a full hour-and-a-half, his flow not confined by genre even in the slightest, consistently weaving through different sounds and influences.
 
Benji mixes up bangers from the likes of Lil Silva, Breach and Ramadanman with deep and soulful cuts that have all the heads asking for the I.D. The energy in the room never fades; everyone is peaking right from the start and can’t get enough of it. As Benji closes on more of a dubstep tip we look around the room to find absolutely everyone is grinning from ear to ear.
 
Next up is Kode 9, a man with who needs no introduction when it comes to his influence on bass music. Kode delves straight in on an epic UK funky vibe, weaving through scene staples before dropping a mind blowing remix of Hardrive’s classic house cut Deep Inside; to say things went off does not do it justice. Deep house reminiscent of Kerri Chandler is expertly blended with variations of 2-step and 4/4; we even get a garage remix of Soul 2 Soul’s Back To Life. The set moves forward with more experimental works from the likes of DVA, with Just Vybe getting a well deserved wheel, and then hits grime territory with instrumentals from Terror Danjah and co.
 
Moving from the main room for a little break and to hit the bar, we enter room two where Benny Blanco, Moxie and Alex Nut are each dropping sets throughout the night. Although we only popped in every now and then, the second room was still delivering the goods. First time we venture in for a drink we hear Benny Blanco giving the London club a taste of straight sunshine house – dropping the anthem Follow Me by Aly Us. Later on, the next time we reach room two the Nonsense crew (Alext Nut & Moxie) are delving into the sounds of Chicago house, elements of Detroit Techno and we even get to hear MJ Cole’s latest offering, From The Drop, a collab with grime godfather Wiley.
 
Heading back to room one, it’s time for the final set of the night from Mr. Theo Parish. Kicking the 2-hour set off is what can only be described as an awe-inspiring intro with a real slow jam of beautiful wavy synths and drippings of old ‘70s disco and funk. Theo himself is an absolute madman behind the decks, constantly jumping about and hyping the crowd. He just seems so excited to play. As things progress, the set moves into some downtempo techno with hints of the industrial sounds of Detroit.  We get more vocal-fixated house tracks, disco re-edits and classic funk breaks all pounding on the system, so much so that at points it seems the EQ is being ridden to the very limit and the speakers are clipping.
 
It’s truly a sight to behold and I urge everyone to go see Theo in action if you ever have the opportunity. We stick around ‘til the wee hours and make a move just before the end of his set. It’s safe to say the Deviation 3^rd Birthday was a highlight of the year, showcasing the highly-welcomed current trend for nights straddling genre lines and how London remains at the forefront of electronic music. A shining example of how house, techno, garage and whatever other pigeonholes you can think all blend perfectly together.