Having spent the last 13 hours in the sweatbox that is DC-10 only the night before, my expectations for my first ever Pacha experience are unclear. And, having already been told I'm too dressed down to dance among some of the finest dressed women on the White Isle, I make my way into the notorious super club a tad nervously. But within seconds, us impatient punters are provided with a steady groove in the air by none other than a hippy who's free-styling on a drum set made from multiple plastic tubs and buckets, and any worries I have are eased, because music is music, eh?
Entering Pacha, my eyes are flooded by lights and lasers, and clubbers are two-stepping on the staircase that leads to the packed dance floor. Tonight is the season opening of Mosaic by Maceo, with sets lined up from Matrixxman, Conforce and Oswald in the Prism room, and Agents Of Time (live), Red Axes, Maars and the man himself, Maceo Plex taking charge of the main floor.
Red Axes adds to the jungle-infused atmosphere with samples of chimpanzee screeches echoing around the plant-filled venue. By the time I've found my feet, Agents Of Time are gracing us with their live masterclass and the infamous Pacha dancers, locked inside glowing cages, are dancing in time with the jellyfish swimming in glass walls above the bar.
Amazed by the sights and sounds, I go to the roof to catch my breath - only for it to be knocked back out of my lungs by the view of the moon moving in between the clouds. The rooftop is my great escape, but I don't miss any of Agents Of Times mesmerising performance as it's plastered on the walls by a projector. There's a faint thud courtesy of Boris Bunnik (Conforce sounds better, right?) threatening competition downstairs, as he spins Mr. White & Larry Heard's ‘The Sun Can't Compare'. Smooth move, Conforce, you successfully tempted me back inside.
As the night progresses I really, really find my feet. Standing beneath Maceo Plex as he welcomes us into snare drum heaven, the magic unfolds. Hypnotic chimes echo from the sound system, and an explosion of confetti embraces the crowd. I'm finding it hard to venture anywhere other than the spot I've planted myself in, time is running out, and Maceo can't lift his fingers from the decks. The two most important words are screamed into my ear before I tear myself away from the euphoria of Mosaic - “Enjoy Life!”. Tonight has made it impossible not to.
WORDS | Ruby Munslow
