Review: Skeng Terrace Presents: The Breakbeatah’s Selecc w/ ANZ

The saturation of the Leeds music scene can sometimes be overwhelming, with a multitude of events regurgitating the same music, with minimal crowd energy and often the regret that you could’ve spent your money elsewhere. In contrast, Skeng Terrace is leading the pack in showcasing how successful an event can be when combining fresh ideas with skilled music management. Skeng Terrace originated from alias Alfie Whitehead’s desire to hold a series of genre focused nights in Leeds, providing opportunities for selections of up-and-coming DJs to showcase their love and knowledge of certain genres. His debut - ‘Avant Garage’ - at Wire back in November was a huge success, featuring the smoothest UKG mixers Santos (from Champion Sound) and Zorg, travelling from Manchester and Bristol, respectively. The buzz surrounding the first event cemented Skeng Terrace even further into the Leeds nightlife scene, in which he is already a go-to for the house party rounds.

As with any sequel, following your debut poses a challenge – but of course, Skeng Terrace’s second part of the series did not cut any corners. ‘The Breakbeatah’s Selecc w/ ANZ’, held at Eiger Studios on the 21st of February, was a zesty, sell-out success, boasting an impressive line-up of the best in breakbeat, jungle and footwork from both Leeds and London. Warming up the night saw Yorkshire legends Size 13, Babat (Infrared Sound) and Papa Nugs all shell gorgeous mixes of breaks, garage, electro and disco. The boys proved their status with consistent and impressive tunes that ensured the crowd were ready for Anz. Furthermore, Skeng Terrace’s careful assortment of DJs proved invaluable in returning the energy of ‘Avant Garage’, with the crowd’s vigour remaining colourful and sustained throughout the evening. The night’s main meal saw ANZ - London and Manchester's’ genre eclectic queen - serve up a tasteful selection of her favourite music, including fierce breaks, classic garage and even a nice drop of ‘Lotus Eater’ by Mura Masa. It was refreshing to see such a creative and interesting female DJ headline an intimate venue like Eiger Studios. Anz’s popularity, aforementioned, comes from her ability to slash through genres effortlessly; a typical set is “a testament to [her] indecisiveness”, said in a recent interview with MixMag, and can contain anything from garage, UK funky, footwork, baile funk and afrobeats. Completing the night’s quintet of the mixers, Skeng Terrace took it home with a classic, vibrant set from Palette Klenzah. With Anz by his side, Palette Klenzah rounded up the evening by showcasing his natural ability to respond to the crowd, cutting bassy kicks with the occasional belter from 2010.

'The Breakbeatah’s Selecc’ was not only successful due to the elegant cross cutting of genres, but also as the ambience never wavered from vibrant. It appeared meticulous in detail, with the artistic decorations around the decks and the warmness of the lighting making the space feel cosy and comfortable. The venue, Eiger Studios, was also a great change from the usual rotation of clubs chosen for nights out. Overall, the night appeared seamless between DJs, the musical dynamism never dropped and therefore neither did the crowds. Skeng Terrance once more was able to prove he’s leading the game in events, and taking the best DJs with him.

Skeng Terrace has much more to come; Alfie’s new show ‘Eclecticismz’ on LSR puts his effortless musical knowledge into the format of a discussion, again in genre-focused episodes. Looking into March, Skeng Terrace and friends also have an appointment with the Artful Dodger at Mint Warehouse, which is sure to get nice and steamy. Keep a look out as he will no doubt be making even more movements very soon.