Prepare to dance: This year's Peacock Society was pure musical alchemy

Nina Kraviz, Warehouse

Identifying exactly when Nina Kraviz went from solid techno DJ to label-transcending, world-dominating icon is tricky. The launch of her трип label in 2014 was certainly an important moment, as was the release of her DJ-Kicks compilation in January 2015. What’s clear is that experiencing the Russian DJ at work in 2017 is an avant-garde aural experience. Nina is clearly loved by the French - the Warehouse was packed wall to wall during her closing set from 5 until 7. Any attempt to get close to the stage was pointless. Next door, Jackmaster played to a thin crowd, a reflection not of his own skill but of the universal popularity of Kraviz. Each track was as bizarre as the last, as pressure mounted and the heaving crowd undulated to each unexpected drop. The set was a finely balanced mixture of unreleased трип material, obscure trance and oddball techno. Behind the decks Kraviz flitted between CDJs, nimbly introducing tracks like Tesox’s ‘Prophetic Steps’. As the clock struck 7 and sunlight streamed into the Warehouse, still packed with bodies, Kraviz dropped DJ Randy’s ‘Deception’, emerged from behind the decks and bowed to the crowd.