Soulwax strike the Roundhouse

Soulwax's new live set up has three drummers. Three! It's a lot but were there even three? Were there four? Or ten? Who's counting other than the players themselves?

For many of us, Soulwax just sounded like one huge Robocop-esque synthetic machine, only intent on taking the very roof of London's Roundhouse off rather than doing any high-end maths.

We were lucky enough to clock them in the midst of December when they took over the venue for two nights. Their arrival was a relief as they cut through the festive chaos with their white suits and sleek electronics. But we, by contrast, were all over the place, lighting up snouts inside and hollering at every opportunity. We missed Jarvis Cocker's DJ set as were too busy getting pissed in the pub across the road, can just about remember the start of their set, went back to our buddy's with about 30 cans of czech lager, then woke up on the sofa fully clothed and in total disarray the next morning. It took a lot of beige food items, including Scotch eggs, Mcdonald cheeseburgers, chicken burgers, pork pies and even a quiche to feel anywhere near present or correct the following day. Brap to all crew involved. A strong showing indeed...

Despacio is happiness

We went to check Despacio at the Roundhouse back in March on a Friday night and as good as it was, it wasn't the definitive clubbing experience promised by the £30 price tag. Or the hype.

For much of the night, it was some old slightly old dudes playing occasionally inferior, yet slightly more obscure versions of balearic classics. Yet, when it did hit lift off, the peaks were pretty epic and rolling. This wicked mix of the evening has emerged and arguably sounds better than the night itself... Crank it right up...