Dave Clarke // The Ocean Rooms

I’ve not written much recently, thinking about it, I’ve not really been out too much at all. Push aside a few special nights, a techno fest in Germany and generic drinks I’ve been a bit of an old man. Since the demise of our regular beloved Stompa Phunk some months back, I’ve had a slightly demented view of clubbing in Brighton.

Now I know it’s not dead but maybe it’s just not beating as hard as it has been. I put blame on the English sun. Global warming!! More like global raining. All would pick up if only the environment was right. It’s like living in a town with a constant case of seasonal affective disorder…. Well at least we can say most the people in the Ocean Rooms had some kind of disorder.

We get to the club at around half 11, instantly noticing the hard bass creeping up the stairs from the dungeon bellow. Being a touch too sober we quickly notice the sweat-mist flowing up towards us – the eyes rolling and classic lost ocean room’s zombies – quick we need a drink. It is the middle bar we head first to a medium crowd. DiscoBoy (Matt) is on the decks spinning a Triple R track called “Jah Wobble” – a great vocal and a good beat to start off. A quick reccie and the aforementioned medium crowd, or lack of proves to not be the most inspiring and we huddle upstairs.

The Ocean Rooms goes through more refurbs than I go through toilet paper. Constantly striving to be the best, to maintain a fresh image or is it merely that the wallpaper and paint drip off from the sweat and spilt drinks. Who knows?

The once red room, once white room, is now the black room. It’s much more of a housey feel up there and always a good break from the harshness of the basement, and often bareness of the middle floor. The beats range from Hot Chip to The Bucketheads – “these sounds fall in to my mind”. Clearly no pretentions here – just a nice place to relax and sip a drink.

On our way to the basement we pass through the middle floor again, we skip past the sound of Dubfire’s – “I Feel Speed” yet still can’t get drawn in. These kinds of shapes can only really be pulled off when spring cleaning or teeth brushing.

Progressing to the basement it’s evidently a much more chaotic situation. We should have known that hard techno attracts skin heads and they sure came in their plenty’s. We’re talking shirts off, hard fucking techno!

Dave Clarke comes on to a large shirtless masses reception. He’s mixing with a pair of Technics SL-DZ1200 hooked up to his Mac, using what appeared to be two mixers, one seemingly used for effects alone.

Almost immediately our photographer is told we’re are not allowed to take any shots at all. Now we don’t want go off and not concentrate on the music but Dave Clarke is known for his attitude. A lot of us have heard about the weird requests… banana sweets, wanting the decks to be no more than 10 centimetres off the ground, and playing only to the strict slot booked for. But why not allow a single photo? The lady by his side, AKA the photo police, stood guarding, often pushing the decks/mixer slightly with her hands as if they were gonna fall off the table.

It seems a little overly hostile in an environment where people want memories. Then again Dave Clarke’s always been a DJ so engrossed in the sounds and not the scene accompanying it. You would never see him on a stage surrounded by a hustle of groupies. He takes his work very seriously and doesn’t like many others in the community jump on to the next sound fad that comes up. It’s his dedication and his contributions which make him stand out as a DJ and maybe we can forgive his sometimes sombre approach. With DC you won’t get dancing, he won’t sample the audience and loop them, he won’t wave and scream. And in some way that has to be a kind of relief and break from the norm.

Dave Clark has recently followed in the footsteps of another techno originator, Jeff Mills, incorporating his sound with an entire orchestra. He’ll be playing along with the Holland Symfonia orchestra, recreating his old tracks and producing some new ones especially for the event.

Not dismayed by not being able to photos we danced on and mingled with the crowd. As the night wore on I even remember telling someone; “I read history books”. Not a subject which usually comes up, surrounded by zombies in the basement of the ocean rooms. Lee Smith came on after and the BPM dropped to an easier pace, we could keep up and no need to keep having a break. Much more subtle and suited to that time in the morning – and there is that old man again.

Not a bad night overall! The Ocean Rooms as always was sweaty, dark and dirty! Well at least it keeps the spice boy shades-wearing Italians away.

Photography by Eliot Gill. Do you need a photographer for your event? Please contact 07804259916 or email mrichter@brightonfusion.co.uk

The Ocean Rooms
http://www.oceanrooms.co.uk/

1-2 Morley St
Brighton,
BN2 9RA

01273 699069

info@oceanrooms.co.uk

Words: Marek the Czech