REVIEW: System 4th Birthday

System 4th Birthday
Pantha du Prince
Levon Vincent
Annie Errez
Bobby O’Donnell
Mint Club
Saturday 4th February

Although System’s 4th Birthday at Mint Club was not entirely sold out, the hustle and bustle of the queue and state of the dance-floor upon arrival could have fooled you otherwise. Despite tech-house expert Robag Wruhme dropping out under rather dubious circumstances (it was rumoured he was suffering from fatal man flu), the eager crowd did not let this affect the full-force of the birthday celebrations. Arriving at what turned out to be near perfect timing for the beginning of Pantha’s set, Mint Club looked as strikingly sophisticated and professional as always, setting the scene for another remarkable System party.

German DJ/producer Hendrik Weber aka Pantha du Prince boasts a forte of dark micro-house that is always best experienced as part of his noteworthy live show. Having seen Pantha at TJ’s Woodhouse back in 2010 when supporting Four Tet, I was eager to see how Pantha would transform his live show to suit the intense intimacy of a Mint headline slot. Indeed, as he took his place on the club’s side-stage, Pantha’s set-up was more gig-like than anything else. In reality, this was probably a strategic move by the club’s owners in order to accommodate Pantha’s insane wealth of electronic equipment. Nevertheless it broke the mould for the attendant party-goers, keeping the atmosphere refreshed and lively. His affiliation with the British music industry comes from his third album Black Noise, which gained notoriety after being released in 2010 on our very own Rough Trade records. This was significant for any die-hard Pantha fan (is it not yet obvious where the writer stands on this?) as every tune from that album was delivered with precise textural ease, sending intricate glitches of melancholic sound pervading through the whole club. A highlight came right at the end, with Pantha dropping Stick to my Side with almost punk-like fervor as the crowd sang along with Noah Lennox’s (Animal Collective) gentle hook. It was, quite simply, a genuine pleasure to hear the many ethereal layers of his music in such crisp, full-blooded quality. His performance stood out as a true testament to the focus and talent which Pantha, as an artist, possesses.

System then brought us Manhattan house music scholar Levon Vincent to see the night out. Tight, solid mixing and a dark, moody soundtrack not dissimilar to Pantha’s kept the crowd thoroughly interested. With another year under their belt and a host of parties still to come, System is showing no signs of easing up. All there is left to say is; Pantha – please come back soon.

words: Chris Mclachlan

photo: IGR Photo All Rights Reserved