Headz Gone (North) West: Up Ya Archives at The Warehouse Project

Saturday 15 November saw the return of Up Ya Archives to The Warehouse Project for the third year in a row. An event curated by Bradford-born Nia Archives, and featuring a stellar line-up including 4am Kru, Girls Don’t Sync, Skream, and Benga among others, the night was one to remember with all five stages in use across the disused railway depot. 

After the success of last years' Up Ya Archives at The Warehouse Project, there was pressure for the West Yorkshire producer to deliver an equally exciting performance, especially after announcing via social media that this would be her last time performing for the foreseeable future.

She successfully managed to ignite a crowd of ravers who came alive during hits such as ‘Off Wiv Ya Headz’ and ‘Baianá’, which sample Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Heads Will Roll' and the 2011 song by Brazilian group Barbatuques respectively. Archives kicked off her set with her remix of PinkPantheress’ ‘Illegal’  which, for many, was the song of the summer and immediately set the tone for the rest of her energy-packed, dynamic set. 

Photo: Samantha Corcoran @ The Warehouse Project

Unlike her set last year, the jungle selector chose to use less of her original music and instead remix other songs. Notable tracks used included EsDeeKid’s viral hit ‘4 Raws’ and Labrinth’s ‘Where Love Lies’ — the song used in this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. Both songs have recently trended on social media, allowing Nia to use their memorable hooks to blend genres and sounds, creating a holistic set.

Whilst they may not have been expected within a jungle set, the virality of the songs allowed the crowd to really get involved. Archives remixed ‘So Mi Like It’, a dancehall sound by Jamaican artist Spice, allowing her to revert back to jungle’s roots and bring an element of Caribbean culture to Manchester's warehouse.

Following on from Archives' electrifying set, 4am Kru took over the Depot for an hour. Howie and Stu, the duo behind the London-based jungle crew, whose energy-packed shows and nineties-style mixes have garnered them international attention, brought infectiously good energy to the Depot and were one of the highlights of the night.

The combination of backing dancers and dynamic graphics featuring rats, clocks, and cheese gave the set a frivolous feel, perfectly complementing a set that included a mix of high-energy songs as well as slower tunes including their remix of 'Old School Loving' which features the soulful vocals of emerging R&B artist Emiko. The emotive vocals and melodic piano were a sharp contrast to the punchy beats that 4am Kru are so fond of, however provided a much-appreciated moment of rest for the still-sweaty crowd.

Photo: Daisy Denham @ The Warehouse Project

In the Archive room, curated by promotion team Hit and Run, DJ Samurai Breaks played back-to-back with Mandidextrous and Truthos Mufasa. In a fast-paced, bass-heavy set they spun a mixture of techno, speed garage, and drum and bass. Following on from Nia Archives and 4am Kru they seamlessly kept the night going, upping the tempo from earlier sets in the night to offset growing tiredness.

Samurai Breaks brought high-energy basslines and quick tempo, with his unpredictable drum patterns leaving the audience guessing. Despite being a later set, they managed to keep the energy of the audience up until the event closed, with the steady bass rhythm keeping the crowd’s momentum and the room full until 3am.

The Archive space brought a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the intensity of the huge depot. The room is much longer and thinner, with a unique lighting system running down the middle that painted the room in flashes of colour, matching the quick-changing beat of the music. Personal boundaries broke down with strangers chatting and dancing together, enjoying a more easy-going vibe after the large-scale headlines.

Their set brought a fast wake-up that ended the night in high spirits, a fitting end to what is possibly the last Up Ya Archives The Warehouse Project will see.