Live review: berlioz presents 'deep in it' at The Warehouse Project

Jasper Attlee, formerly known as Ted Jasper and now more commonly as the jazz-house act berlioz, a name derived from a character in the Disney film The Aristocats, made his debut performance with his 'deep in it' event at The Warehouse Project in Manchester as part of their 2025 season.

The South Africa-born musician adopted the new name to facilitate a distinction between old and new material, and describes his current project as "if Matisse made house music": fusing a comforting and nostalgic jazz sound with more contemporary house beats. His debut album, open this wall, was released in July 2024 and features hits such as ‘deep in it’ and ‘jazz is for ordinary people’ — both of which gained popularity on social media. His unique blend of genres and distinctive sound led to The Guardian labelling him "one to watch" in 2024. 

Set across both the Concourse and Plant Room, a combination of The Warehouse Project's best spaces that have never been used as the sole hosts of an event before, the night saw a range of talent from various house-jazz acts including Chaos in the CBD, Codie Curry, and Jeremy Underground to name but a few. A change from the usual jungle and garage-heavy events that have dominated the venue's calendar so far this year, deep in it succeeded in bringing a new sound to the space, yet one that fell flat at The Warehouse Project and would perhaps be more appreciated in a smaller, more intimate venue.

Credit: Sophia J Carey @ The Warehouse Project

The energy of the set felt slow at times, and it seemed that Attlee struggled to maintain strength, with many members of the crowd choosing to leave before the end. Hits such as 'nyc in 1940' and 'deep in it', which the event was named after, were met with enthusiasm; however, the whole set was punctuated with lulls which on the whole left the show lacking.

Here's to hoping that the remaining events due to close out The Warehouse Project's 2025 season in the next few weeks bring more energy: with events in December including Homobloc featuring Sugababes, The Blessed Madonna, Honey Dijon, and Slayyyter, followed by Repercussion the following week hosting Underworld, Caribou, Floating Points, and many more, the closing weekends look promising. Overall, berlioz can be credited with bringing a unique sound to The Warehouse Project, just not one that particularly suits a warehouse space like other events in the calendar.