Hello London,

Every weekend I meet people who tell me they want to start DJing. However, itā€™s usually women who say they donā€™t know where to begin or donā€™t feel confident playing out yet. Hereā€™s the truth: you donā€™t get confident in your bedroom. You get confident on a dancefloor.

Open decks are one of the few genuinely accessible entry points into this scene. Faded Open Decks has been building that space for over two years and now runs monthly in collaboration with Lab.Club, but there are weekly opportunities across London where you can test your skills, on vinyl and digital, in front of real people. Do check out the list I have curated below.

Now, for the raves.

This Friday, Swedgers at Signature Brew answers the question: yes, you can rave in a brewery, where Hodge will go B2B with a very serious special guest which Iā€™m technically not allowed to name (DM me, if youā€™re curious). Todd Edwards & Jaguar bring house and garage lineage to Night Tales and Ed Banger Records take over The Cause if youā€™re craving French electro. And if you want it raw, intimate, hardcore and gabber - Planet Wax is calling.

Saturday, Palais continues its strong run with K-LONE B2B Facta bringing the deeper, experimental side of UK bass. KiNK goes all night at Phonox for proper house and techno heads. And if you believe rave culture still means something, BHANā€™s no-phone, rave-with-kindness ethos is worth checking out.

On Sunday, Aba Shanti-I brings heavyweight soundsystem history to Palais. Or reset with Burning Music Curates at The BBE Store if you want something soulful and intentional.

Long live the rave,
Afaan

Open Decks in London

  1. Vinyl Bitch (FLINTA Only)
    @ Dalston Superstore (First Monday, Every Month)

  2. Planet Wax Open Decks
    @ Planet Wax, New Cross (Every Wednesday)

  3. Future Open Decks
    @ Club Makossa, Dalston (Thursday, 5th March)

  4. Lab.Club x Faded: Open Decks
    @Lab.Club, Shoreditch (Thursday 12th March)

  5. Open Decks @ Cabin - Vinyl Only
    @ Hoxton Cabin (Every Thursday)

  6. Queer Open Decks
    @Dalston Superstore (Third Monday, Every Month)

  7. London Open Decks
    @ Carbobar, Hackney Wick (Every Thursday)

  8. Open Decks Vinyl Only
    @ Malavenda CafĆØ & Bistro, London Fields (Every Friday)

Signature Brew, Blackhorse Road

London Raves This Week

Friday

  1. Swedgers: Hodge B2B Special Guest
    @ Signature Brew (Wonky Tech & House)

  2. Todd Edwards & Jaguar
    @ Night Tales (House, Garage)

  3. Ed Banger Records: Busy P b2b Gerd Janson + more
    @ The Cause (French House, Electro)

  4. Boudica x Gegen
    @ FOLD (Techno, Techno & Techno)

  5. Anish Kumar - AK Cuts: UK Tour
    @ Palais (Proggy House, Leftfield Techno)

  6. MinimalCTRL
    @ Dalston Den (Rominimal, Minimal Tech)

  7. The Hard, The Fast & The Happy
    @ Planet Wax (Hardcore, Gabber)

Saturday

  1. K-Lone B2B Facta (All Night Long)

    @ Palias (UK Bass, Minimal House, Breakbeat)

  2. KiNK (All Night Long)
    @ Phonox (Techno, House)

  3. BHAN: Raving with Kindness

    @ EGG LONDON (Progressive, Tech-House)

  4. MOON ā˜¾ Half East Records x Cooked ā‹†āŗā‚Šā‹†
    @ Club Cheek (Techno, Bass)

  5. Afterglow with JASSS and friends
    @ Vespers Club (Techno, EBM)

  6. Barbaro - INVITE ONLY POP UP
    @ Unlocked (Tech-House)

  7. Paradoks London
    @ EGG LONDON (Melodic, Tech-House)

  8. Duty Free
    @ CU Dalston (D&B, Jungle, Bassline, 140)

Sunday

  1. Aba Shanti-I, Charlie Dark & Daniella Dee
    @ Palais (Bass, Dubstep)

  2. Burnin Music Curates
    @ The BBE Store (Soulful Deep House)

  3. Groovin' Moovin'
    @ Hoxton Cabin (Disco, Funk, Soul)


    Aba Shanti-I At Palais

Collaborate with Us

Our mission at Lab.Club is to serve the growing electronic dance community in London. Got some news to share with us? An event? A DJ? A set we should listen to? Feedback on this email?

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