The balmy night air was a welcome change from the mild nights we’d been venturing out in all summer. So I’d worked up a sweat before I even made it to the Chinese Laundry and as the night wore on, Phil K’s unique brand of transcendental breaks would keep the sweat pouring. Arriving early, we mingled with the throng in The Garden Bar, quenching our thirst with a refreshing ale or two. As the crowd swelled around us the beer kept flowing ,and time seemed to dissolve away. When we started to head downstairs we realized time had gotten away from us and our stumbling feet revealed how many beers we’d sunk.
We spilled onto the dance floor as The Impossibles pounded the sound system with some driving electro breaks. The crowd was quite sparse, but the beats were relentless to ensure no-one was sitting down. They hit us with a barrage of techy, big-beat tunes interspersed with the ubiquitous Beastie Boys and Chemical Brothers break downs. The crew’s MC dropped some hard and fast rhymes that flowed with ease into the mix. The levels were just right, and his timing spot on. Grime/garage style MCs tend to leave me cringing, but this guy was tearing it up faultlessly. And apparently, he goes by the name of Forey. I recall an obscure mix of a Kosheen track, and of course there was some Daft Punk to get the kids screaming. Their driving beats didn’t slow down and the crowd began to grow as Phil K could be seen stalking about behind the decks.
The Chinese Laundry is often criticized for being too small to handle big-name gigs, but I find this to be its most endearing characteristic. This week however I got to experience the place with plenty of room to move, and by the time Phil K was ready to drop the needle there wasn’t even enough punters to warrant opening The Cave. He started his set with a distinctively moody tone to a full but not crowded dance floor. I first experienced Phil’s ambient flavour listening to his down tempo Y4K release, and so I was pleasantly surprised when he delivered a much more danceable set. The beat started a little monotone but he built it slowly and surely to reach some deafening peaks. He then broke it down to show off his warped and trippy styling’s as he twisted and manipulated the samples.
He swerved between floor-filling house tracks to get people moving before slowing into a corner of paired back vocals that were distorted to within an inch of their life. A throbbing breakbeat filtered back in, it was reassuringly complex and bass heavy as it’s energy rose and rose. A spattering of weighty guitar riffs, and the flow of steel drums was mesmerizing. It’s been a while since I floated on the waves of some truly transcendental grooves, but Phil K showed us that big beat breaks and a trancey flow can work together; it was a very pleasant experience indeed.
A pair of eager but painfully uncoordinated breakdancers decided to show us their moves, and as they licked their own asses the booze happy crowd had their hands in the air soaking it all up. It was a somewhat pedestrian but nonetheless enjoyable night at the Laundry. If they can keep delivering big name gigs, this rad venue will hopefully maintain its unique style without having to resort to sickly-sweet pop nights. Cheers to Phil for making it to Sydney, and thanks to The Chinese Laundry for having us.
