On a balmy summer's evening just after witnessing yet another typically English defeat in a major football tournament on penalties, the last thing you want to do is go out. I would rather have stayed in the flat continuing to drown my burgeoning sorrows but the power of persuasion by the other half can be very difficult to resist and it was the Subliminal Sessions with Harry Romero at the Cross after all.

By the time we got to the club it was packed to its incredibly low and non existent rafters - so much so that the door policy was one in one out. We got there just in time to catch the Subliminal DJ's in the main room. Who Da Funk started out playing fairly the standard heavy, electro house with a tribal edge - the standard super club sound but nothing special. Crowd pleasing headliner Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero took it a little more vocal house playing the usual Subliminal classics from their extensive back catalogue along with some of his new material. By this time the atmosphere was really heating up in the main room and the predominantly pilled up punters were enjoying the night to full effect. The outdoor terrace provided me with some needed respite from the sometimes stifling, sweaty atmosphere.

Things were going good but so far nothing I or anyone one else there hadn't heard before. It wasn’t until 4am when relatively unknown newcomers OrtzRoka took over from Romero that the real party got started. Their set was very original. I heard snippets of recognizable dance classics like Blue Monday and Daft Punk but after talking to OrtzRoka - a DJ and Production Duo from London - who invited me into the booth I found out that they had done their own edits and also had original tracks of their own available to download from Beatport.com. Their edit of CCCP's 'Rakety' remixed by Rui Da Silva, blew the roof off the dancefloor. OrtzRoka were definitely the highlight on what would have otherwise just have been another run-of-the-mill night in clubland. They will be playing at the next Subliminal Session Party at the Cross in September, go check it out do but get there early if you don’t want to spend the whole evening in the queue.

Text: Blair Cartwright