By Ed Southgate, co-Editor in Chief
'An event that brought everyone together for a good time, and left us all on a good vibe'. Ed Southgate reviews Problem Central's first show of the year at Motion.
Bristol, it is no secret, is a gem for the Drum and Bass scene. With the likes of My Nu Leng originating here, and the city itself being referenced as many DJ's favourite places to play in, you can garuntee yourself a filthy night out.
Ahead of seeing new 'supergroup' Problem Central's one-hour set at Holy Goof's Globe's tour recently at Motion, the expectation was high. Having dropped their first mixtape, I knew we were in for a treat. It displays incredible DJing with tunes that want to get you moving
Problem Central is an four-piece masterpiece; two skilled DJs, Logan D and Majistrate, and two skilled MCs. In my recent interview with Logan D, the point was made that the group might not at first sound like much more than a classic back to back, but he emphasised that the friendships between the group make it something special.
The Blast / Khali Ackford (KōLAB Studios)
This was clear in their performance, with the vibes and energy shared between the four of them being transmitted to those skanking below and made it a real event that ravers should have been gutted to miss out on.
As soon as the group entered the stage, it was clear we were in for something special. For any event where there is an MC involved, it is their duty to bring energy to the room and this is exactly what both Eksman and Evil B did. Having a clearly great time with each other on stage, as well as a great time with the audience below, the whole set had the crowd buzzing with nothing but good vibes and good energy.
Both Eksman and Evil B's MCing was quick, impressive and intense; often I'd get stuck just listening and appreciating the sheer skill that they both have as performers. It was a captivating performance which allowed us to be totally engaged and immersed in the music.
Indeed, the DJing itself was just something else and incredibly - Logan and Majistrate really brought the party to The Blast and it was impossible not to get overtaken by the tunes. The drops were heavy, the mixes were mad and the tunes carried the audience along with those on stage.
Logan and Majistrate would often drop something and the crowd would go absolutely nuts - whenever you get a reaction from them like that which was seen at Motion, you know that the set is doing something incredible.
I've always got a sense that the music in the DnB community brings people together and you could feel in the audience that it was doing exactly that. There was a real sense that we were all there to enjoy the event together, skank together and enjoy this mighty display of talent within the community together and the DJing enabled us to do just that.
The Blast / Khali Ackford (KōLAB Studios)
Yes, the crowd there, as ever at Motion and The Blast, was great. Eksman in particular has been pretty vocal about his opposition to moshpits at clubnight raves. In 2016, he put up a big Facebook post outlining exactly why the new generation of ravers should not engage in moshpitting, which has been a recent thing within the DnB community, at a sold out club night, including the 'bad vibe' it creates and that 'there is not enough space'.
He has always had my respect for this, and I was glad to see that the ravers at Problem Central's set had that mutual respect for each other that we did not start a mosh.
The whole event, with other performances equally impressive by DnB heavyweights such as Holy Goof, Friction and Macky Gee, was unforgettable, and easily one of the best raves that I have been to.
If you ever come across Problem Central in the line-up for a club night or a festival, you would be very sorry to miss them and the addictive energy that they bring to their set.
Featured Image: The Blast / Khali Ackford (KōLAB Studios)
