Basics & Below

Being a Leeds boy, I'm more than familiar with the infamous Back To Basics - believed by many (including me) to be the best clubbing experience on offer in the UK.

However, I'm not so familiar with what seems like Basics' Birmingham equivalent - Below. Below has, from what I can gather, a similar vibe to Basics: put on your dancing shoes, leave your troubles and inhibitions at the door, and party the night away to some top quality house music. It also seems to share the same family-type following that Basics 'regulars' are accustomed to - and I imagine this only adds to the house-party atmosphere.

Below was 'set up' in 2005 by Birmingham promoters Lee McDonald, Adam Shelton and Ross T, and has grown into what Mixmag has called "the most important underground night in the UK" (not Basics? Agree to disagree I guess). They celebrated their 5th birthday in June this year with Matthias Tanzmann & Julietta - both of whom I've seen knock the socks off MyHouse...they're different, but both shit-hot and I imagine they complemented each other nicely - it was probably absolute class.

Basics and Below have a strong affiliation - Basics residents are regulars at Below and the boys from Brum often make the trip up to party with Dave Beer & Co. Unfortunately in April I was bogged down in uni coursework down in Nottingham, and wasn't able to make it to Shelton and fellow Below resident Subb-an's 'One Records' label night at Basics. They also did one in August last year - no excuse offered for missing it - which was apparently an absolute belter, and the video evidence certainly seems to support that:





As you can see in the video, Subb-an played a live set that night - the track you hear drop at 1:55 is he and Shelton's 'The Musik' from the release of the same name (ONE001) - and both of their production this year has been impressively polished, as you can tell by the reaction of the Basics faithful.

A particular favourite of mine is Subb-an's remix of 2020 Soundystem's Psycho on 2020 Vision (VIS192B). This track has had some great remixes since it came out a couple of years back - Burnski, Layo & Bushwacka, Audiojack, Buckley and Denney have all had a stab - and Subb-an's definitely cuts the mustard. It's an unapologetic, raw club track and is guaranteed to provoke a roar/whistle/cheer of approval from any dance floor worth its salt.

You can have a little taste of Psycho on Beatport. Who knows, you could even buy it:

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/238461/Psycho%20Remixes

Below are hosting a bank-holiday special with Argy (Poker Flat // These Days) and Vincenzo (Dessous // Liebe Detail) + residents on Sunday the 29th of August, and though I haven't had the opportunity hit Below as of yet, I can safely predict a great night of top house & techno and a quality atmosphere. In fact, I might just make this my debut...