29 July 2010

14th August 2009- HOMmega at Matter, London

When I got the invite to the HOMmega event I was genuinely excited. HOMmega was joined by the Alpha Omega crew which includes some of the best guys from the psytrance scene. I had missed their first launch party months earlier, so I was keen to get myself to their next event. HOMmega themselves are a label from Israel whose artists include some of the more world renowned artists like Astrix and (soon) even Infected Mushroom. But more importantly, I was excited because this gave me an excuse to check out the most Words & pics: Will Pooletalked about new venue in London; Matter.

For those who live in their cupboards, Matter is the new superclub (2600 capacity) set up by the guys who own Fabric. It resides literally just inside the O2 building in Greenwich, miles away from pretty much anything and a pain in the arse to get to. From the very beginning I was apprehensive about what to expect at Matter. I have never been a big fan of the superclub experience, I find they are more intimidating and generally become a bit too centred around the 'superstar DJ' and his ego trip, than the audience's enjoyment.

I arrived at the O2 early to check everything out before it filled up and got into the swing of things. After a painstaking hour of metal detectors and disorganised door staff, I was finally in and was greeted with the familiar sounds of psytrance. The night's line up looked immense, as it included such acts as Liquid Ross, Xerox and Illumination, Ace Ventura, Aphid Moon and the world famous Astrix.
The first thing that was immediately apparent on arrival was the lack of decor. I mean literally none. There was not a stalactite in sight, not even a banner with the event name on. One wonders if this was through lack of thought or because of restrictions imposed by the club itself. The venue is comprised mostly of concrete and the lack of any fabrics or even wallpaper gave the whole place a sterile feel that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end. However, what the club lacked in aesthetics, it made up for in raw technology. The sound system was immense and the design of the building allowed the sound to bounce around the specifically designed amphitheatre. The lighting was also mindblowing, with huge projectors pointing at every blank space and lights zig-zagging across the floor.

The venue itself was divided into two rooms, one main room and another about a third the size. From the sound of things one room was playing hard psytrance, with the other playing even harder, darker psytrance. If you like psytrance then you'd be in the right place, and if you don't then it's going to be a long night - but you can't leave early! One of the biggest problems with Matter is that because of its location, leaving is almost near impossible. Getting a night bus from there is like waiting for Jesus' second coming. Luckily psytrance is a personal favourite of mine so I got stuck in and bounced till the wee hours of the night, although admittedly as much of a fan that I am, after nearly eight hours dancing sober to such a fast repetitive beat meant even I longed for a change in bpm. Maybe everyone else was on something else I wasn't?

The highlight of the night had to be when Astrix took to the stage, accompanied by half dressed female dancers; suited and booted in his psychedelic hippy wear. In all the excitement you could almost be forgiven for not noticing the huge lasers now sweeping across the crowds and the outstretched hands of the partygoers. This spectacle made it all worthwhile. The end of his set cued my time to leave, and the epic task of getting to my mate's afterparty on the other side of London... Groan.

On reflection, although the artists were excellent and the lights dazzling, without that important, decorative, human touch the event lacked what could have been something quite special. It really does show you that a bit of stretchy lycra and a few banners really go a long way towards making a night. And as for Matter, if a super club is what you're looking for, then Matter is what you want. I just don't think it's the place for me.