7 tracks that made Circoloco's opening the most exhilarating yet

DVS1, Main Room

American selector DVS1 rifles through the hardest set of the night, by some distance. His background as a warehouse rave promoter in the Midwest powers through to the fore, with weighty, industrial beats charging relentlessly across his 90-minute stint in the Main Room. He manages to play tough while still captivating the crowd, with forays into spooky, whirring and reverberating techno.

The room’s immersive décor adds to the experience. Glowing orbs hang from the ceiling and thin lasers shoot across the breadth of the room like a menacing grid guarding against a bank heist. Yet despite the high production levels, DVS1 himself is the most compelling sight. He contorts and convulses behind the decks, arms flying off the mixer with every twist and knees bouncing, torso jerking with the jagged rhythm of a perilous printer jam throughout, pausing only to soak up the sweat pouring down his face with a towel.

Marcel Dettmann, Main Room

Few artists in dance music measure up to the majestic stature of Marcel Dettmann. He cuts a bold figure in the booth of the Main Room: poised, calm, towering. It’s a stark contrast to the scenes he stimulates around the room. Dancers gyrate vigorously, twisting their bodies to the muscular techno he hammers out of the rugged system. He shifts through atmospheres with deft skill, building to electro-tinged breakdowns and plunging into disorientating, moody depths. But the spacey moments never last too long: booming kicks coming back in with the propulsive energy of a cataclysmic thunder strike every single time.

Towards the end of his set a friend or fan grabs his attention in the booth and Marcel responds with an enthusiastic grin and friendly punch to the arm, before turning back to his composed position at the controls to continue laying waste to the floor. It’s a moment that sums him up: techno’s friendly giant, with a heart of gold and a record bag packed full of darkness.