July 21, 2001

Svenghali is such a perfect opener for a summer 2001 opening show. There is nothing groundbreaking about this theme but it is an enjoyable 01 dnb theme, with multiple breakdowns and great atmospheric layering. The debut of The Tunnel (not counting private shows) follows, and it has the barest kernel of a jam. Like Spacebird, this one always suffered from an unconventional time signature and a compositional structure that proved difficult to break out of. The Crickets jam, like the Svenghali jam, is not groundbreaking or crucial, but there is a surprising amount of atmospheric layering and sonic variety packed into a relatively short iteration. Excellent peak as well. The funk section flies by even more quickly than the trance section, and although it is less interesting, there is some cool melancholy work from Barber. After the Crickets, the show plays out more or less exactly how you would expect—Spy is jamless, and Hot Air Balloon is standard.

2/5. The Svenghali and Crickets are both solid. All in all, not a bad opener set.