On March 14th, we welcomed drum & bass artist Delta Heavy to the Fruit for an energetic celebration of the genre and loving ode to the dancefloor. Their newest album Midnight Forever is one that honors the rave as a place of escape, of catharsis. With support from an incredible slate of performers, Delta Heavy brought out a large crowd in Durham ready to celebrate the magic of midnight.
Raleigh-based artists Cole and Mr. Monopoly teamed up to start the night off with an “all-flavors” back to back set. Both versatile and skilled in their craft, they incorporated a variety of influences including jump-up, neuro, and liquid drum & bass. For Cole, back to back sets provide a welcome challenge, one that he enjoys taking on—and the challenge was well-met. “The crowd, the energy was great,” he commented later that night.
The venue was already flooded with psychedelic tie-dye adorned ravers by the time Echo Brown hit the decks. Originally from New Jersey, though based in the Triangle now, Echo Brown grew up on hip hop, punk, and thrash, and later industrial and turntablism. A producer first, DJing came later for the artist. “It’s a different kind of creativity,” he adds, noting that the ability to improvise is one of his favorite aspects of the craft. Seeing the payoff in the crowd’s reactions of a spur of the moment decision is a highlight for him. His set for this night was rooted in DnB, with the energy carefully crafted to bring a linear story to life. In the foggy room, people stood shoulder to shoulder dancing and burning off pent-up energy. When the music did pull back for a moment, the audience’s cheers rang through the space, echoing throughout the warehouse.
There was already a frenetic energy hovering in the air by the time Ben Hall of Delta Heavy took to the stage. Persevering through a lower back injury, Ben still brought a wealth of energy to the room, ratcheting up the tension as he dominated the decks. If you took a moment to step away from the central space, you’d see people running back and forth from the bathrooms and the bar—purses swinging, clutching onto their hats with determination. Everyone wanted to be front and center, where the energy at times seemed just shy of boiling over into mosh pit territory. An elated, uninhibited flair swept through the audience. Note even a broken leg could stop one devoted headbanger from enjoying the show. Sonically, chunky sawtooth synths, huge drops, high-octane drum loops, and an affinity for bass with a big wobble shaped the sound of the night. Delta Heavy likes to play where the line of drum & bass meets drumstep, a fusion that’s in your face and champions the skill of controlled chaos.
As an artist who has helped shape drum & bass over the past fifteen years, Delta Heavy has seen the transition of the genre from the niche underground to wider consciousness. Whether the packed room is evidence of that or not, the takeaway of the night was clear. These shows provided a needed catharsis for those who come, a place to jump and scream and hang onto every minute. It’s a place where for once the clock feels like it stops ticking—and though we can’t stop time after we leave, we can count down the minutes until it's time to come together again. It’s not just music. For some, it’s a way of life. So I’ll close with this—long live drum & bass, long live nightlife, and long live the rave.
