Since its inauguration in 2007, the Rhythmatic bandwagon has not stopped rolling. From their first parties at the seminal London club; Turnmills to their recent exploits at the Miami Winter Music Conference, Greek twins Kiri and Kostas Poulos have swiftly and firmly embedded their unique, soulful nights into the heart of the ultra-competitive London house music scene. To celebrate their 2nd Birthday, the diverse and stimulating trio of Gorge, Lemos (Live) and Kabale Und Liebe were invited to join the established ranks of Rhythmatic residents to participate in and enjoy what was shaping up to be a night to remember.

Stepping into Egg around midnight, (it being my first time at the club), I was immediately transported from the dark, urban sprawl of industrial Kings Cross into what I can only imagine some of the smaller, more intimate clubs in Ibiza to feel like and resemble. Meandering through the young, stylish crowd, I headed straight to the ‘Terrace’, where I was told Gorge was just beginning his set.

Egg impressed me from the off. The attention to detail (surround ‘Funktion 1′ sound in every room) and decor was reminiscent of Fabric and Turnmills, minus their suggestively dingy and cavernous qualities. Rhythmatic complimented this beautifully; with Gorge’s pounding two hour stretch as good as anything I have heard in either of the latter venues. Teasing the early crowd onto the dancefloor with his vocal laden, breakdown heavy style and flawless mixing, the atmosphere in the main room was soon bubbling away effortlessly. The interaction between the booth and the crowd was constant, with the promoters doing as much to keep the crowd moving as the artists. Immediately I saw why Rhythmatic, above all else, was famed for its family-like, friendly feel and for ignoring the conventional boundaries so prevalent at other nights.

Ending his set on a perfect slice of sexy, rolling deep house, Gorge gave way to Lemos who wasted no time in settling into his own, slightly jazzier groove. Alongside Kreon and Alex Celler, Lemos is yet another insane talent to emerge from the Greek islands. Here showcasing his live set, he was able to interact with the crowd on a more complex level, the synched beats allowing the artist time to really delve deep into his eq-ing and into the construction of his mixes. His thick, jazzy loops resonated beautifully around the room, maintaining the atmosphere at its peak. Desperate for the toilet and curious to explore the rest of the club, I set off to inspect what else was on offer.

The ‘Basement’ I found to be the perfect accompaniment to the main room, catering to the slightly tougher shade of tech house, mixed expertly by some of Rythymatic’s homegrown talent. Here I found some of the bigger tracks of the scene being aired. Joris Voorn’s recent remix of Steve Bug’s ‘Swallowed Too Much Bass’ was a particular highlight, providing a joyous and otherwise rare moment of recognition.
The ‘Loft’, curated in part by DJ Download was playing host to the more commercial, electro-influenced side of things, with techy, clunky Calvin Harris remixes seeming oddly out of synch with the rest of the night but it worked for a breath of fresh air.

As I re-entered the ‘Terrace’, keen to witness Kabale Und Liebe exercise his skills for the first time, I was disappointed to find the room far emptier than before. As I settled once more into my rhythm, expecting for some reason a sub-standard DJ performance, I could in fact find no fault at all with the music. Similar to Gorge in style, but with a blistering, more powerful drive at the centre of his music, Kabale was fantastic. Those left in the room were bouncing off the walls, with Kabale’s freshest production ‘Una y Nada’ on 100% Pure receiving especially loud clamours of approval.

Overall an excellent night; the headliners were well thought out, picked for their abilities to rock rather than simply pull in a crowd. The residents were energetic and perfectly suited to their task as conductors of the second room. Unfortunately, as the night progressed, possibly as a result of other nightclubs in the area shutting their doors, Rhythmatic attracted a crowd that seemed to be far more interested in Egg as a late night venue than in the music on offer. Such is the curse of becoming one of London’s increasingly popular night spots especially since the fall of ‘Turnmills’ and ‘The End’. Let’s just hope that nights like Rhythmatic, with their passion for cutting-edge underground house music, continue regardless.