IZCO + DR DUBPLATE – OLD RED BUS STATION – 02 OCTOBER 2021
23 Degrees and Deep Fry brought yet another stellar line up of DJs and producers, who find their music on the breakbeat continuum, to Old Red Bus station on Saturday.
Since coming back to Leeds, I hadn’t found myself in a club on a Saturday night. I had been tricked into a false existence without the Otley run; completely forgetting its occupancy in the DNA of our city’s weekend nightlife. As we got closer to Old Red, swarms of life size foamy fruits began to inhabit the Headrow; competing with clusters of tennis players, monks and telly tubbies for the most obnoxious outfits. Even in the club, you couldn’t walk anywhere without being greeted by a Borat, Baywatch or builder costume, which added an element of unpredictability to the night.
Izco’s blends of novel UKG lured us into the main room, performing alongside his designated emcee (and all round g) Reek0. There is an undeniable chemistry between the two collaborators, who shelled performances on the festival circuit over the summer, as well as several club nights across the country. Playing a selection of his most renowned remixes and productions, real name, Izzy Cofie tore through a set of visceral grime and garage gribblers, which his lyrical confidant bodied with dexterous emcee abilities. It was nice to see a few Reek0 tunes played out too, with his Nia Archives collaboration sending particular shockwaves through the crowd.
Everyone got way more than they bargained for on Saturday, although many will still be clueless as to why. Adam Pits and Dubrunner were going b2b on the 1s and 2s downstairs, which no one seemed to realise for most of the night. They didn’t care; chuckling away to one another as they smashed through a set spanning across the entire rave continuum. Dr. Dubplate, meanwhile, was living up to his title in the other room; bringing the party with his carefully curated selection of edits.
The Old Red Bus station is making a strong case this year for being the best accommodator of underground music in Leeds. Be sure to check their roster of events for the coming month.