- If one of the most popular parties in Manchester marks five years of business by booking one half of a particularly revered production duo (in this case, Kristian Beyer from Ame) you can likely expect a successful night. And on arrival at Micron's recent Joshua Brooks take over, it was clear that things had kicked off smoothly. No doubt part of the reason for the pleasant atmosphere was the knowledge that Micron will soon close down their often sold out and faithfully followed event series in their home city after New Year's Eve. As such, the arrival of Beyer not only commemorated the team's latest birthday, but also their third-to-last bash.
Descending into the open-brickwork basement, it was immediately obvious most of the attendees had decided to help the crew go out with a bang. The floor heaved as Beyer began to drop deep but infectious mechanical funk, immersing the crowd in rich timbres while slowly toughening up after British re-edit star The Revenge had played a deft selection of heavy, disco-tinged beats to an already sweating room.
There's no question the name Ame is synonymous with particularly exceptional standards and an ability to hone in on a vibe, and, that was how it happened this night, with Beyer's dark room house both stripped and compelling. More soulful techno-edged offerings also appeared, providing a refreshingly dynamic meld of track-y electronic music (as difficult a feat as that description suggests). Heads-down, the crowd moved as grooves rolled out, threatening hypnosis while balancing things on something of a perpetual knife-edge. The club's intimate downstairs, filled with tightly packed and barely lit archways, provided the perfect surroundings.