The night saw Cambridge-based DJs spinning house, broken beat, jungle and just about every microgenre of the above.
From 15:00-21:30 PM on Saturday, Cambridge’s clobber merchants were treated to rails of cheap threads and a host of local DJs making names for themselves across the country. Featuring Valentino sweaters and Ralph Lauren polos, for a mere £5-£10 a piece, Groovy Garage’s sale wasn’t to be missed.
Celebrating their fourth release, record label ‘Collab?’ and Manchester DJ collective Sublime invited selectas to showcase their nifty blends of bouncy breakbeat bangers. It was nice to hear more genre-subversive artists like Omo Frenchie getting played out too; anyone from Cambridge knows that hearing any of this locally is a rarity.
As the night went on, and more shoppers spilled through Groovy Garage’s doors, the store felt more like a rave than a vintage garms sale. This didn’t stop people from acquiring some steals, however. Armed with a four-pack of Stellas, and having only just paid off my student overdraft, I told myself clothing cops were strictly off the cards. Nevertheless, before tucking into my third bottle, I flicked through the racks of reduced items and made some purchases. It was always going to be difficult to leave empty-handed.
The night also celebrated Collab?’s latest EP release, ‘004’, which showcases a range of industrial dubstep, 90s jungle and more. Created out of a desire to promote Cambridge-based producers and support mental health charities, the label is known locally for pushing club-focused music. Over £500 has been raised for Calmzone since it started, and with plenty more in the pipeline, this figure will be rising soon.
Nights like these remind you that Cambridge is moving in the right direction; so long as local collectives like Collab? and shops like Groovy Garage continue to drive the culture forward. Be sure to head down to future events when they happen.