With Future Music Festival signifying the end of the summer season there was no better reason for lovers of electronic music to continue the festivities at Shape than for the official after party. Throughout summer Shape has managed to pull many top quality international acts for post festival celebrations, including Boy 8-Bit, Fake Blood, Oliver Huntemann and Teki Latex, who’ve all delivered top quality shows to boot. The final Shape after party of summer yielded arguably the best line-up to date, with live German techno sensation Stephan Bodzin and eclectic French DJ/producer Mr Oizo.

The night always had the makings for a spectacular evening, with the Labour Day long weekend giving punters extra recovery time before returning to reality. Once I had arrived I went straight upstairs to the Habitat room to the sounds of Richard Lee and Luke Who. Upon entry you could tell that the crowd congregating upstairs were there for techno and nothing else. Techno heads were privileged enough to have already witnessed world class acts Ritchie Hawtin and a deeper side of Sander Klienenberg throughout the day, however to witness Bodzin’s amazing live show in an intimate environment would be the icing on the cake. Richo, Luke, Flex and Darren did an outstanding job of increasing the vibe throughout the beginning of the evening and by the time Bodzin stepped up to the plate the anticipation had reached fever pitch.

Standing behind an arsenal of electronic equipment and showcasing a nice pair of white gloves, Bodzin wasted no time tearing into his distinctive brand of techno. Due to someone’s supreme intellect the crew at Shape had setup a camera and projector to display Bodzin’s unique live setup on the wall behind for all to enjoy. While this reviewer is unaware of the type of equipment used it was clear Bodzin had complete control over the music, manipulating builds and various other effects with his gloved fingers creating a unique set completely responsive to the crowd. After witnessing Bodzin destroy the dance floor with his opening tracks, I had to tear myself away to checkout the other half of the stellar line up, French producer Mr Oizo. Unfortunately at around 1am Mr Oizo was still nowhere to be seen, and despite Bad Wether’s solid set comprising of breaks, electro, hip hop and dubstep, only a thin crowd remained loyal to the dance floor.

Without hesitation I proceeded back upstairs to watch the remainder of Bodzin and I wasn’t I disappointed. I was, in fact, AMAZED. His set continued to excite the crowd caused a number of people in the crowd to completely lose themselves in the massive builds. His crowd participation was endless often venturing from behind his mixing desk to take the live aspect of his show into the front row of punters. The physical manipulating of the sounds took the live show to a new level. While many producers claim to be performing live these days, this particular show wasn’t solely done using Ableton, it was all done in front of your eyes with a range of electronic equipment few would have seen before. While many may claim this is nothing new, it still doesn’t undermine the fact Bodzin put on one of the best shows this reviewer and many others have ever seen. His energy, creativity and overall talent resulted in unique show that few will forget. Come back soon, Bodzin!