303 Hardfloor
Drop acid not bombs. Getintothis’ Ste Knight is on the receiving end of both as Hardfloor destroy the Williamson Tunnels.
With all of the young blood on the scene at the moment it’s not very often we get taught a lesson in how to techno. However, when German acid techno pioneers Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker, AKA Hardfloor, played Liverpool’s very own Williamson Tunnels on Saturday night we were all schooled in how exactly one should be using the little silver box after which club night 303 is named.
The party was started by Samuel Lamont who played an absolutely MAMMOTH 6 hour set on the Attic terrace. Starting off with perfectly summery sun-drenched house, Sam moved through genres with ease before landing firmly within the realms of techno to ensure the crowd were perfectly peaked to leg it down to the Williamson Tunnels for the evening session.
Speaking to Hardfloor prior to the event at the warmup party in Parr Street’s Attic club, we were shocked to learn that this was the acid duo’s first time in Liverpool. However their debut in this city we call home was certainly one to remember and one which we are eager to repeat.
Consider, for one moment, the mastery with which Leonard Bernstein conducted an orchestra, or the manner in which Mark Knopfler makes his guitar gently weep. OK – now you’re close to understanding the virtuosity with which Hardfloor are capable of manipulating their beloved Roland TB-303 synths – sometimes using up to six of the units at any one time.
True masters in their craft, the Williamson Tunnels played host to an absolute acid stomper of an evening in a venue seemingly perfectly built for such an occassion.
Opening up in the tunnels was 303 resident Gemma Muir whose expertise behind the decks was blatant for all who witnessed her set. Dropping plenty of acid flecked techno Gemma provided the ultimate warm up for Hardfloor and the energy was such that audience members where smashing it way before the headliners took to the stage.
Opening with the gloriously squiggly The Art of Acid from their 2014 album of the same name, everyone knew from the first note of their acid bassline that things were going to go off. Go off they did in a most tremendous fashion.
The acid masters worked through an hour and a half of their tracks, lowering the tempo only once around the midpoint to play tracks P.E.L.F and Hardfloor Will Survive before dropping their infectious remix of club classic Yeke Yeke. The tunnels were under threat of caving in as the maestros raised the roof completely.
Things got seriously hot underground as the pair played probably the most famous acid track of all time, Acperience 1, before finishing their set with (very British-ly titled) Fish and Chips. It is seriously difficult not to pontificate about just how special this set was.
Stuart Hodson, another of the promoter-residents at 303 didn’t give anyone a chance to cool down during his set following Hardfloor. Stuart let loose with a set which consisted of 100% banging tracks which never once let up. Technasia’s Tech-house banger I Am Somebody reared it’s head, and Sam Paganini’s album track Rave also featured in Stuart‘s set, amongst a lorry load of other belters.
Needless to say this was truly an event that will go down in Liverpool dance music history. The 303 crew consistently put on stupidly brilliant parties. Their night is easily one of if not the best in Liverpool and this is testament to their hard work and commitment. From venue, to acts, to crowd members, this night was perfect and one which will live on in our minds for a long time to come.
Keep your eyes out for the next party as 303 host techno royalty in the form of Derrick May on July 24th…preview to follow.
