Offie Mag

Welcome to Reviews with Lou, a regular journal from Offie Mag’s first-ever intern, Louis Rowland. Known as Wachuwan when producing music or spinning tracks with Offie Mag DJs, Intern Lou can be found on our socials with a mic in hand — or right here on the blog, documenting the nights out, last-minute gigs, and everything in between.

He’s been spotted recently at Colour Factory for a 10k Global Special, Mavi at Next Door Records 2 and a Day party at Phonox.

This time out he’s out in Camden for Dream 2 Science at Jazz Cafe.

What is it to be unc? I’ve been asking myself this question maybe a little too often. I’m certainly not going to as many underground rap shows as I used to, maybe the thought of the furry boot brigade is keeping me away. If I have to get more than one form of transport to a venue, I will not go. Too much effort. I was going to go to “London’s hottest club”, Lost, the other day and decided not to because it was too late. It was 11.

Maybe unc is a spectrum. I reject the notion that my youth is rapidly getting away from me. I am not Shaq on the Celtics, nor am I Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy. It just so happens that I’ve been going to some early evening club nights of late. There are some benefits, of course. Traversing London at very early hours has gotten me in some hot water in recent times, and it’s a weight off your mind knowing that the overground will still be running. You can also get up to something after the main event finishes, like performing Essdeekid’s ‘Phantom’ at your best friend’s girlfriend’s birthday party — scouse accent very much included. You can do that and still get up for parkrun in the morning. God, I am insufferable.

What wasn’t insufferable, though, was the lovely evening me and fellow Offie Mag DJ Brickcellphone shared in Camden’s Jazz Cafe. Since I’ve moved to London, it’s probably been the venue we’ve visited most. And although the crowds are some of the chattiest we’ve been to, the music has always been of the highest quality — tonight was no different on both fronts.

Dream 2 Science is a six-track mini album from Ben “Cozmo D” Cenac, a member of New York electro and hip-hop group Newcleus. I’ve been having a very deep house kind of winter — there’s something that always draws me back to these softer sounds — and when I discovered the album via its titular single, I was swayed into a serene sense of contentment, akin to a bowl of wonton noodle soup from Preston Street’s HK Place. There might be no wontons or showers in the toilet, but that sense of warmth is right there.

This flavour of deep house really lends itself to an early evening setting. Cenac and his two collaborators are on stage doing their thing; he got on the mic and revealed that one of the vocalists on stage with him, who appears on the project, is also his wife of 30 odd years. It’s quite lovely to see when music is more than just something for us to listen to, but a deeper part of an artist’s life. It feels real and gives you more of an understanding of the music.

Drinks were flowing, people were grooving and that’s all you can really ask for. I hope that we’ll get to see this again, Bricky even suggesting we start a movement to get Mr Gilles Peterson to book him for this year’s We Out Here. It would fit well, but I also feel it would fit well anywhere, anytime.

Thank you to Ana for sorting the guestlist for us, and we’ll be back soon enough, I am certain.

Words by Louis Rowland