Cambridge Bass-ics

Bass addict JOHN BARDSLEY shows you where the beats are hiding in Cambridge.

12 years ago | UPDATED 12 years ago

alex peringer bass Cambridge Club david zhou emma ents hex john bardsley lumi mosca napper tandy Nightlife rudimental sam mellor

Cambridge nightlife is boring, unoriginal and musically embarrassing- or so it seems.

The recent student uprising against generic nights has given birth to some events set to revitalise the Cambridge bass scene. Here’s my pick of things coming up in the not-too-distant future that are definitely worth your while.

HEX- Rum & Bass

Like rum? Like Bass? Hex does too. The night’s founders, Sam Mellor and Napper Tandy are determined to bring fresh sounds back to Cambridge’s dance floors.

Sam, also head of Emma Ents, thinks Cambridge is ready for change: ‘There’s not enough variety, no identity, just commercial crowd pleasers – which is great to appease the masses and everyone loves it from time to time, but Napper and I wanted to see some more exciting, underground music get itself onto the scene. We want to give people an alternative.’

Napper adds: ‘The UK bass scene is unrivalled globally, and I don’t see any reason why Cambridge shouldn’t become part of it.’ A great soundsystem with some very talented DJs means Hex promises to be a sub-heavy paradise for your ears.

It all kicks off this Thursday at Vodka Revs:

http://www.facebook.com/events/351813331519592/

Rudimental

Part of the BodyShop series that brought you the critically acclaimed Klubnacht, Rudimental is a night all about deep and dark vibes. Cambridge bass connoisseurs David Zhou aka Lumi and Alex Peringer aka Aliboo are the duo behind the night.

Ambitious, knowledgeable and adventurous, they hope their concept can add that special something to Cambridge nightlife. Despite its alternative playlist, Alex stresses the desire for the night to be inclusive rather than exclusive: ‘Our aim is to get everyone, whether serious aficionado or completely new to the music, pulling moves they didn’t know they had in them.’

David adds: ‘Exactly, Rudimental is all about engaging with the music: letting loose on the dancefloor, shouting for rewinds and trawling YouTube for that tune as soon as you’ve got home.’ Expect tough 4/4 sounds and Berghain bombs when Rudimental comes to town.

Rudimental lands on 26^th February:

http://www.facebook.com/events/234658639954575/?ref=ts

Mosca @ Emma Ents

An exciting variety of music, cheap drinks and a lively atmosphere provided by the college’s powerful new soundsystem: this is what Emma Ents is all about.

In the past the bar has seen some hard-hitters of the club scene; Skream, Breakage, Redlight and Logistics have all graced the decks in the past. However, whilst the night proposes itself as an alternative, it never seems snobby or too self-aware.

Booking Mosca should hopefully bring back this hype that’s dwindled in recent years and ensure a rammed Emma Bar for what’s set to be a fantastic night. Championed by big name Radio 1 DJs such as Annie Mac and Mistajam, Mosca is the biggest name that has been secured by a student-run night for a long time. Best known for his track Bax, his futuristic garage vibes are certain to set Emma Bar alight.