REVIEW: WHP X KALUKI @ WHP, Manchester

Photo Credit: Kaluki Musik

This year, I was lucky enough to celebrate my 22nd birthday two-stepping at one of Warehouse Projects most prestigious events, WHP X Kaluki. The fusion of the two Mancunian tech/house giants created one insane party from start to finish, with relentless beats from the likes of Joseph Capriati and Loco Dice powering the night at WHP’s new venue, the Depot.

My night started at 9pm where I was greeted in the main room by Apollonia. Comprised of Parisian DJs and producers, Dan Ghenacia, Dyed Soundorom and Shonky, the creative trio have a melodic take on house music, drawing on techno and electro influences. Apollonia’s groove-laden, 3-hour set nicely warmed up the decks for industry giant, Loco Dice, who came on just after midnight.

Loco Dice needs no introduction. A titan of the worldwide electronic music scene, he has the ability to puzzle together elusive moods to create playful, intense, and seemingly unpredictable beats. While Loco Dice’s imaginative sets can be anything from rapid, heavy percussion to light-hearted house/disco, he always remains in control, making him one of the most creative pioneers of his time. It could be argued that the type of set you’ll see, just depends on the roll of the dice.

Not every DJ has the presence to command a space as vast as the main room at the Depot, but Loco Dice made this task look easy, stunning ravers with an explosive, fist-pumping set. As predicted, he kept the crowd two-stepping with energised synth riffs and emotive chords before the headline act, Joseph Capriati, hit the decks.

Capriati is deservedly one of techno’s most in demand headline artists. A global ambassador of electronic dance music, he continues to represent Italian techno culture with his notoriously slick and compelling sets.

Although Marco Carola was originally meant to headline Kaluki, later cancelling his set due to logistical issues, fellow Italian, Capriati, stepped up to the mark delivering a huge night of spellbinding beats. While I was a little bit disappointed at first, I think it came as a blessing in disguise as I got to tick Capriati off the list, having never seen him live before.

Meanwhile, over in the Concourse- the second biggest room at the Depot- Skream closed the evening with a showstopping fusion of acid house, techno, and disco. Personally, I was in two minds about who to see close, but since I’ve seen Skream a few times this year, I originally decided to see Capriati.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t stay away from Skream’s enchanting grooves for too long and ended up paying him a little visit. As always, I was not disappointed and ended up staying in the Concourse a lot longer than I had planned.

Joey Daniel, wAFF, and Richy Ahmed were just some of the other huge names who played in the Concourse. Although I didn’t get the chance to see them all, I did, however, get the opportunity to catch Ben Sterling- a rapidly rising star with a passion for Chicago house and Detroit techno. While I only caught about half an hour of his set, it was enough to illustrate his undeniable talent as a self-taught house DJ and producer.

One thing that took me by surprise at Kaluki x WHP, was the amount of time that I spent in the Archive. The small, intimate hub at the back of the venue hosted the likes of Guti, Nastia, and Anna- who closed the room with her seductive, heavy-hitting brand of techno.

Initially, I had no plans to visit the Archive, but the relentless techno beats kept on pulling me in for a dance. The vibe in the room was equally as popping as the Concourse and the Depot, and I am excited to catch Nastia and Anna again in the techno circuit.

Kaluki has done itself proud with this event. Formed in a grubby Manchester basement in 2006, the label has since gone on to stage club nights in Ibiza and Croatia, host stages at various festivals, and sell out huge venues such as Fabric, and now WHP.

Earlier this week, Kaluki announced that they will be celebrating their 14th birthday at WHP, booking Marco Carola and Joseph Capriati to headline the event with their first ever b2b show, further demonstrating the whirlwind effect that this label is having in the techno industry.

Overall, Kaluki x WHP was incredible. The venue was outstanding. The line-up was exceptional. I celebrated my birthday here, now I can’t wait for round two celebrating theirs.

To read more about WHP’s new venue, the Depot, check out my post from earlier this week: https://unhingedblogger.wixsite.com/mysite/post/the-end-of-store-street-the-beginning-of-the-depot