Reviewed: The Blast At In:Motion

In:Motion has launched in style. Known for its unapologetically colossal celebrations, they held not one, but two, launch parties. Showcasing the best of the industry, one night was a heaven for techno while the other was a brilliantly dirty drum and bass meets dubstep mashup hosted by The Blast. The Bristol-based collective took over Motion and Marble factory from 11-6, giving their audience the best of the underground.

Motion seems like the perfect location for a good old-fashioned skank out. The main room opens up like an industrial wonderland, with its high ceiling, exposed metal work and unpaved floors. To start, we thought that the night seemed quiet for the usually packed-out venue, but as soon as midnight hit, the place was overflowing with partiers.

The Blast’s resident DJs kicked it all off, followed by Young T and Bugsey. We had a bit of a dance and eased ourselves into what was to come, seven hours of raving lay ahead of us, so we decided to take it slow. Those plans were quickly scrapped when we caught Barely Legal and Koast. She took over the main room with such ease that we couldn’t help but dance until our feet were sore. She’s been hailed as one of the industry’s next big thing, and her eclectic, bass-driven set proved that. It was also refreshing to see a female DJ at a night of this genre, though they still seem few and far between.

After that, it was time for garage legend Matt Jam Lamont b2b Conducta and B-Live. By this point, the Main Room had packed out. With an ever-increasing heat and deeper basslines, it felt like a continuous build-up of anticipation, then came D Double E. Lights streamed down on the audience below, as they were getting down and investing in the music, revelling in dirty feel of it all.

Next up, the formidable Bristol-boys themselves, My Nu Leng who partnered up with the unbelievable Dread MC. As soon as the duo took to the stage, there was an eruption in the crowd. The set was hot, sweaty, undeniably fun and absolutely explosive. Pulling out a whole range of tunes, with heavy basslines and Dread getting the crowd all riled up, it felt like the Blast had created something totally unforgettable. The night carried on with dubstep pioneer and bassline champion Caspa with Riko Dan. Plunging their audience into a sea of lasers and heavy music, then came Notion, who rounded everything off with his unique blend off bass, garage and grime.

It’s also worth noting the best of the rest. While we were unable to witness all of the action at Marble factory, Austrian powerhouse Mefjus took his crowd into a world of futuristic drum and bass, with Maksim by his side. Hospital Records’ heavyweight S.P.Y brought his signature sound and hard-hitting mixes. It was worth bearing the overwhelming heat of Marble factory to see these guys, let’s face it, how often is it that you skank in front of these living legends while covered mostly in other people’s sweat?

As hot, sticky and messy as it was, Motion provided a perfect night for any bass-head. The dirty basslines and heat of it all tied in perfectly with the attitude of the night-enjoy yourself and celebrate. After dancing until the early hours of Sunday morning, we left with a feeling of relief. We had completely let go and immersed ourselves in the feel of it all, only Motion can do that.