A little past 9pm on a cold, rainy Saturday night in Brixton and a queue of a thousand people has already snaked around the garden outside of St. Matthew's Church.  The converted church is home to Mass, the nightclub which has seen the DMZ party grow out of it's 400 person capacity basement '3rd Bass' into the club's main rooms which now usher over 1,500 through the doors for the bi-monthly event.  The yearly birthday bashes in March have always brought out legions of supporters; even dating back to the legendary night in 2006 where the event had to be moved from 3rd Bass mid-party into the club's main room to accommodate the hundreds of people who were shut out.  With a lineup that often remains unknown until the week of the event, the allure of reaching a DMZ night is deeper than simply it's all-star cast of DJs.  It's about being a part of something bigger and coming together to celebrate the roots  and various permutations of dubstep music in it's birthplace of South London.

The queue itself is a one of a kind experience, with party revelers and dubstep enthusiasts from all over the globe showing up hours before the club doors open to ensure entry.  Be sure to stop by the Off-License (think bodega that also sells liquor) across the road and hunker down on line with a 6-pack of Red Stripe which will only set you back a fiver.


Arrived into Mass as VIVEK and Goth-Trad were busy tearing up the already rammed sweat lodge that was Room 1.  Goth-Trad's subwoofer bubblin' 'Itinerant Priest' was easily one of the standouts from their B2B set and one of the watermark tunes of the night as a whole.  The amount of tunes that these two are both sitting on right now is unbelievable.  We can only hope that some of those dubs see the light of day soon.



Kode9 and James Blake were up next as Kode9 ominously drew deep into the bag for Warren G's 'Regulate' right out of the starting gate.  Rest in peace Nate Dogg, who's untimely death occurred little over a week later.  It spoke volumes about the legacy Nate would leave behind, hearing his words ringing out almost 6,000 miles east of his native L.A. at a DMZ night of all places.  Other highlights from the set included Terror Danjah's remix of Spooky's 'Spartan', as well as James Blake playing some witch-house from Salem as well as his harmonimixes of 'Ms. Jackson' and Mala's 'Changes'.

Maneuvered into Room 2 for some much needed breathing room and found Horsepower already going in on some old school Jungle & DnB.  Zed Bias then followed with a selection of classic UK Garage, as well as some of the recent productions under his Maddslinky moniker.  Be on the look out for Zed's 'Stubborn Phase' release which is forthcoming on Swamp81.


Nearing 2am, it was time to stake out a spot in Room 1 for the Digital Mystikz set.  After testing the signal with Barrington Levy 'Under Me Sensi', the unmistakable innard warming opening notes of 'Anti-War Dub' came over the PA and created a release of pure elation in the dance.  Despite the unavoidable technicals that arose, the set and energy of the packed out main room was something that won't be soon forgotten.  Standout tunes included the behemoth 'Swish' by Pinch as well as the Coki classic 'Officer', which released on the DMZ label back in 2005.


Serious big ups to Pokes for keeping everyone hyped and engaged throughout.  His decree, "That left turntable needs to be taken outside and SHOT" was one of many entertaining Pokes-isms of the night.  Out to Mala & Coki for pushing through the technicals; soldiering it out and delivering a memorable set in the face of adversity.  With one turntable out of commission and forced to play out tunes from intro to finish on the only functioning deck, they let their selections speak for themselves.  Their set reminded us why so many converge upon Brixton for this special night and why the Digital Mystikz sound will continue to remain a gravitational force in the world.  Whatever your background, religion, political or social status; everyone is a unified, sweat soaked mass on the dancefloor at DMZ.


Up next were Skream & Benga with Youngman MC taking over hosting duties from Pokes.  While their set may have diverged from what some expected, it's ludicrous for anyone to question their validity at an event that celebrates a sound that they have undeniably helped shape and form over the past 8 years.  As far as the dancefloor was concerned, their set was a hit with the throngs of punters getting up close and personal with one another.


For a change of pace, Moxie was simultaneously killing it in Room 2 with Asbo hosting and paying tribute to some of the genre's foundational classics.  She temporarily brought us all back to 2005 and 2006 with a smooth blend of Kromestar's 'Kalawanji' and Skream's 'Midnight Request Line'.



Hatcha & N-Type took the stage at 5am and did their thing til' the break of dawn with VIPs and exclusives smattered throughout their closing tag-team set.  Full details of which are hazy due to it being early Sunday morning at a DMZ Birthday.  Beware the Dragon Stout...


While some seem all too eager to write-off the genre and focus on the negatives associated with it's recent explosion, the DMZ experience continues to be a positive bastion in the ever-expanding world of dubstep.  The sound may have splintered into more offshoots than anyone can possibly keep up with, but that malleability and creative freedom is what drew many of us to the genre in the first place.  Dubstep can still be up for interpretation and it's comforting to know there are still places where you can close your eyes in front of a massive sound system and meditate on bass weight.

Amsterdam's 5 Days Off festival got it's start in 2001 as a spin-off of the annual 10 Days Off festival in Ghent, Belgium; becoming the first multiple day indoor EDM event in Holland.  The festival is centered around the Leidesplein - the entertainment district of the city, where lauded festival venues the Melkweg and Paradiso are both located.

Deviating from standard last minute protocol, Mala announced back in December that the DMZ crew would be a part of this year's festival and bringing a full lineup with them to the Melkweg on Friday night March 4th.  The advanced heads up gave bass junkies a chance to make the necessary arrangements for a whirlwind 24 hours in Amsterdam, before returning to London for the crew's 6th Birthday Bash the following night at Mass nightclub.

The night's lineup consisted of Mala & Coki, Loefah, Kode9, James Blake, Goth-Trad, Kode9 & Spaceape (live), Darkstar (live), Juha, as well as a couple unannounced sets from VIVEK.  And of course, no DMZ would be complete without the ineffable Sgt. Pokes hosting on the mic throughout the course of the evening.



After arriving into Amsterdam Centraal station by train from Schiphol airport, the first order of business was to make the necessary stops at coffee shops Dampkring, Greenhouse, and Barney's to unwind.  Many sustained deep breaths later, I headed over to the Distortion Records shop for some crate-digging and casual loitering.  Rifling through the well-stocked Drum & Bass section, I happened upon a stellar re-issue of Tom & Jerry 'Maximum Style', some timeless jungle from 1994.



A trip to Amsterdam wouldn't be complete without satisfying those relentless munchies with a funnel of the famed vlaamse frites (Flemish fries).  Chipsy King is regarded as one of the prime locations and while a heap of mayonaisse might not seem the most appetizing condiment, it's a far cry from the Hellman's spread we've all grown accustomed to.

After a quick disco nap and the obligatory pint (or 5) of Grolsch, cruised by the Melkweg which was already teeming with anxious festival-goers before the venue's doors had even opened.



Arrived into the main room to find VIVEK playing an impromptu DJ set before his gig at the Radical party down the road later that night.  He started things on a deep and hypnotic eyes down vibe, an ideal start to the marathon night ahead.  Playing an opening set is never an easy task, but it's always impressive seeing a DJ who can show that kind of versatility and knows what his role is during that time slot.

James Blake, whose recent LP could be seen plastered in record shop windows everywhere in Europe, took the stage next.  He played out an array of synth-drenched R&B, even giving the nod to D'Angelo and Beyonce before playing 'Unluck' off of his heralded debut album as well as a few unreleased solo productions.

Kode9 then stepped up for the first of his two sets on the evening, this one a DJ set heavy on material from Hyperdub signees Ill Blu, Funkystepz, and Terror Danjah.  Kode also tipped his cap to the DMZ gang, mixing 'Bury Da Bwoy' out of Girl Unit's 'Wut'.



Loefah's set featured many of the squelching TB-303 stabs and unmistakeable 808 drums from Swamp81 labelmates Boddika and Addison Groove respectiveley.  If you're showing up to Loefah gigs expecting to hear 'Goat Stare' or his earlier trademark halfstep sound, you are going to walk away disappointed.  For those with an open mind and unfailing love of bass regardless of tempo, his sets have been a welcomed breath of fresh air.  Boddika tunes 'Rubba' and 'Soul What' (both forthcoming on Swamp81) as well as Addison Groove's 'Make Um Bounce' were among the many highlights.  The set also included a throwback to 1989 with Tyree Cooper's anthemic 'Turn Up The Bass', as well the untitled Sicko Cell tune that seems inescapable right now.  "Too Much, Too Much, Too Much" indeed.



A minute into their apropos intro of Barrington Levy 'The Vibes Is Right' and Digital Mystikz had the undivided attention of the sold-out crowd with raised lighters flickering throughout the venue.  The blend of 'Goblin' into the 'Eyez VIP' was in the words of Pokes, “A Violation!!!”  'Return II Space' and 'Livin' Different' off of Mala's 'Return II Space' LP also got the rinse during their headlining set.  Coki selections were heavy on the dancehall and reggae vocals with longtime staples 'Burnin' (Richie Spice) and 'Gangster 4 Life' (Mavado) as well as unreleased tunes 'Emergency' (Vybz Kartel) and 'Badman Place' (Busy Signal & Mavado) resonating heavily throughout the peng-fueled audience.



Their unwavering devotion to vinyl and dubplate culture is something that can't be understated.  As it becomes increasingly more convenient for a traveling DJ to tote a laptop or CD wallet then a record bag, coupled with the amount of clubs that have let their turntables go by the wayside; there is still something to be said about the sound integrity of vinyl when played over a punishing soundsystem.  No matter how many countless radio rips and Youtube clips of Mala and Coki's unreleased music that we've all listened to, there is nothing like the physicality of experiencing them live on freshly cut dubs with Pokes hosting on the mic.  It's the way the DMZ sound was meant to be experienced.



Skream was up next and delivered a set that featured crowd-pleasing Magnetic Man tunes, various skreamixes, and assorted bangers; while VIVEK yet again returned to the Melkweg to play an additional 2-hour DJ set in Room 2 for those that craved more of the meditational bassweight.



Goth-Trad, “the beast from the East”, took the stage at 4am to close out the night in the main room.  For anyone that may have their doubts about the future and current state of dubstep, seeing Goth-Trad live should set you straight.  His extremely refreshing set was evidence that there are still producers keeping it real at 140bpm and pushing things forward into new and uncharted territory at that tempo.  Look out for his forthcoming EP release on Deep Medi that's set to drop later this year.  'Air Breaker', which will hopefully see release as well, completely decimated the dance in the early morning hours.



Pro-Tip: When in Amsterdam, set your alarm before partaking in the “coffee.” Learned this one the hard way...

DMZ 4-Year
March 7th, 2009

DMZ
KODE9 VS ONEMAN
SKREAM VS HATCHA
PINCH VS JOKER
SILKIE VS QUEST
DISTANCE VS GOTHTRAD
HEADHUNTER VS YOUNGSTA
LD VS CLUEKID

Lear jet massive, get at me!

out to Ashes57 on the Pics.

your time girl.

Ashes57 myspace

Soul Jazz records will be repressing 500 copies of their two classic dubs that have been been almost impossible to find from Digital Mystikz since initial release. The two 12s being repressed are "Misty Winter/Conference" and "Walking With Jah/Earth A Run Red", the B side of which remains one of 2006's weightiest singles. Don't miss your chance to grab these records on vinyl while the opportunity lasts.