Ascending the well worn Roxanne stairs, our minds grapple furiously with the difficulties presented by a set list which positively overflows with talent. Sustained by the promise of witnessing one of dubstep’s luminaries in action, we enter the main room where Declan Kelly is laying down some fun and danceable tunes. The crowd, a mix of all ages and ethnicities, is already swaying and pulsating as one. Much of the room’s light comes from glaring white prisms surrounding the stage, creating a dramatic and subtly spooky ambiance.

A cheerful Ras G mosy-ed out of the shadows, attracting cheers and whooping before unleashing an onslaught of noise so powerful that it made the beer froth inside my throat. His set was driven by a combination of booming drum rhythms and well executed samples, becoming increasingly experimental as the hour raced by. Despite the taxing nature of his performance, Ras appeared calm and collected from start to finish, never losing touch with the audience. Ras G uses sounds that would normally be associated with tacky club techno – like airhorns and bubbling effects – but in a unique and ingenious way. In true testament to his stylistic range, a genuine dubstep feel lingered throughout the set. Although his equipment appears outdated (there were such chunky knobs on that mixer!) his sounds remains fresh, complex and progressive.

Thrust back into reality at the end of the set, we rearranged our internal organs and ventured into the side room to greet Logistics. With his live MC hyping up the room, he fashioned an interesting mix of DnB tunes, drawing heavily from recent Hospital Records offerings. Several tracks from Netsky’s self titled release featured early on, with Iron Heart sending the crowd into a bouncing frenzy. Logistics moved seamlessly through subgenres, transitioning between liquid, atmo, hard and deep tracks with class and ease. Aside from developing some great stage energy, his MC’s work allows Logistics to concentrate on creating an immersive mix while perfecting his transitions.

As the back room cooled off a little, we realised that Scuba’s set was about to start. We hurried back to the packed main area to find the bar staff in a frenzy. Positioning ourselves behind a young lad with a Technics hoodie, the lights dimmed and the atmosphere went electric as the man of the moment emerged. Easing into his set with some downtempo dubstep, an air of class was acutely apparent and Scuba seemed in total control. Teasing fans with snippets of tracks from Triangulation, Scuba drew heavily on field samples to create an immersive, all-consuming atmosphere in the room. As the sound of water droplets signaled the start of Minerals, one entranced onlooker exclaimed that she was drowning in a sea of bass.

It took more than an hour for the mood to liven up. The turning point came about with Hotflush fellows Mount Kimbie’s Sketch on Glass. Nodding heads and shuffling feet became wild gyrations and Scuba responded by introducing a stronger techno influence to the set. Keeping the crowd enthralled with frequent variations and consistent poise, Scuba slowly brought the set to a beautiful climax in the last half hour. We were finally treated to the slow, pounding rhythms of Before as Scuba darkened the mood and drew the night to an end.

The crowd, at once exhausted and rapturous, applauded to acknowledge a man who is undeniably a master of his craft. Taking to the dirty stairs once more on the way out, we were silent in our appreciative contemplation of what was a great party full of fun, engaging and interesting performances.