Review: Percolate Open Air was a turning point for the London-based party planners

DJ Koze, The Face

Everyone needs to see Stephan Kozalla once before they die. A wizard on the decks, DJ Koze led the assembled crowd through two hours of emotional left turns with an musical eloquence that belied his near-30 years in the game. Aside from issues with sound towards the beginning of his set (a break between Scuba and him left the crowd distracted whilst the volume sat too low for the first 10 minutes) his set had it all; pounding techno, moments of tender melody and the king of all singalongs: a 12-minute reconstruction of his remix of Låpsley’s ‘Operator’. Most importantly, he kept the crowd engaged at all times as he vied between furiously intense tracks like Josh Wink’s ‘Higher State Of Consciousness (Tweekin Acid Funk Mix)’ and gentle ballads like this track by Playmodul, a gorgeous cut made for both the Miami sunrise and sunset.

DJ Koze, The Face

If Open Air was Percolate stating their claim as one London’s leading promoters, then Koze was their secret weapon poised to help them onto the podium. Koze is accustomed to playing to larger audiences and it seems unlikely any of the crowd will ever see the German wizard again in such an intimate locale. This only added to the feeling that this was a moment. For those in attendance it was the peak of an excellent evening. For the Percolate team it must have felt like a triumph. Despite the rain Percolate’s committed fans came out in force and brought the kind of energy the elevates a day out dancing to a day that will stick in the memory for years to come.

[Photos: Michael Njunge and Gemma Bell for Here & Now]