Review: Hold Tight Records, Blue Mountain

The Hold Tight collective have spent the last couple of years turning Wednesdays into Fridays with their well attended Revinyl Sessions (an open platform for aspiring to DJs to sign up, and play vinyl records along side specials guests), and curating sound-system-shaking line-ups that defy belief.

This young bunch have all the knowledge, commitment and attitude necessary to pull off nights like this one at Blue Mountain, ensuring Bristol’s forward-thinking roots fans get the right music on the right sized speakers: as big as possible.

On arrival it’s a family affair, these hosts don’t disappoint. Warm welcomes and familiar faces bubble about from the word go. There’s  always a healthy attendance of dancers, DJs, sound men, producers and artists who flock to these nights, and tonight we gathered by Bristol’s Lionpulse sound system.

The custom-built wooden speakers were ready for room dominance, and sounded tough as Wify Rootical of Peng! Sound Records, a champion dubwise outfit from Bristol with a DIY philosophy, warmed things up.

Meanwhile, upstairs in room two, things were lively already as the duo Dub Kulcha got the early birds jumping with their expert choice in new-school bouncing steppas, and positivity-injected dubstep.

In fact, positivity is at the centre of Hold Tight’s ethos. Their events unite through love of sound, movement through bass vibrations. They’re a refreshing new wave in Bristol’s underground, as veterans and local stars of modern dub raving can lean towards more obscure, and murky themes and attitudes.

After a tour of the terrace – a blessing and a curse for nights like tonight, with as many people outside as inside – we returned to a swollen room two for Dutchie’s set.

One of Hold Tight’s core crew, her productions and DJ sets have earned her a reputation from dancers and fellow artists. She drifts through styles from tranquil to raggamuffin. You’ll always get a good skank from a Dutchie set, and can expect to see your hand in the air for a few nicely-blended anthems.

Next up, another local hero, Muttley, whose sound is something for everyone tonight. Murky dancehall variations, spacious dubstep weight, and buzzing grime instrumentals are all in the mix.

Muttley is an expert DJ with the right vibe for a peak time in busy room two, complete with serious dancers at the front. I’m always overjoyed when you can move your limbs amongst fellow controlled skankers; all too often there are more stumbles and shouted conversations near the speakers, but not here.

Downstairs, our headliner tonight all the way from NYC, DJ Madd, was throwing down his signature recipe of footwork-infused dancehall rhythms. His label Roots & Future spells it out, taking depth from the enormous low-end of dub and setting it rumbling under the skittering hi hats and sparkling percussion.

Monotone dancehall vocals appear from time to time, driving the dance like no other microphone presence can, but I have to say, on a personal level, DJ Madd’s recipe relies on each drop being unique in rhythm and delivery, as the sound sets he uses don’t vary a great deal.

I’m a sucker for being surprised or at least intrigued, and I can’t say the night’s headliner had that effect.

Numa Crew’s Ago, and Foundation Audio’s mister consistent himself, Chad Dubz, playing 100% his own productions, played me out of rooms one and two respectively.

My legs had been given the work-out they needed and the legacy of refined quality music, smiling love for this scene, lives on with the Hold Tight collective. Congratulations on another success. This family continues to go from strength to strength.