Printworks was back. And back with a bang. The new opening took place on the 3rd of March, seeing Kerri Chandler and John Talabot grace the venue, courtesy of London party-starters The Hydra. Fast forward a few weeks, and the same team were bringing back a techno party that had a heavyweight impact upon its debut last April: Photon.

With a pertinent focus on light shows, Photon is a concept at the heart of Ben Klock’s ‘Klockworks’ label showcases. It’s almost story telling, as the lights vary in intensity and strength in relation to the music, orchestrated by composers of techno. Raw, uncut, unadulterated techno.

And it was on the 1st of April that Photon descended again on Printworks, with a lineup of Surgeon (live), DJ Nobu, DVS1, Ben Klock, RØdhḁd and Etapp Kyle. All of the sets were outstanding, from Etapp’s early afternoon session to Surgeon’s hour of power, so pinning down our three favourite tracks was far from simple. But pin we did! So here’s our three favourite tracks from the Photon takeover of  Printworks.

Track No. 1 – Planetary Assault Systems (Desert Races) – Mote-Evolver

Up and down, side to side. Both RØdhḁd and Klock pulled this one out of the bag, a true weapon in the arsenal. Fast and eerie, the robotic beeps and synth stabs reach a crescendo early on, leading into stripped back hi hats and a pulsing snare drum. RØdhḁd at mid afternoon, or Klock late at night, this beast takes no prisoners.

Track No. 2 – RØdhḁd  (Target Line) featuring Vril – Dystopian

Slower, more progressive, but just as soul shaking, this vintage from Rodhad and Vril is as devastating as it is melodic. Certainly one to catch you off guard, the fast kick initially doesn’t seem too harmful. Combine that with an echoing beep and a rusty hi hat, and you’ll quickly descend into a fervent tapping of the feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcjcfUQ8iHw

Track No. 3 – Deniro (Kairuku 3) – Oblique Music

Layered, textured, and delicately built, Deniro’s Kairuku is a real progressive beauty. Carefully building, layers are subtly removed from the backbone of the bassline, until we’re left with a stripped back rattle from a solitary hi hat. Courtesy of Klock, this one is lethally minimal.

Once again, the day had to eventually end. And once again, Printworks proved itself as a venue of serious class. A perfect combination of lights, music and educated partygoers, all within the sprawling confines of an old printing factory. Encapsulating the day into a mere three songs makes it difficult to reflect the real atmosphere of the venue. So to truly do it justice, we’d suggest everyone experience for it themselves: this place is a special gem indeed.

Printworks is back in action on the 10th of April with a live performance from Tokyo Myers, followed by DJ Koze’s Knock Knock album launch on the 5th of May. Tickets to all shows here. Catch some of the standout photos above.