Bunkerbound 5th Birthday, 11th November 2017

Kent's unrivalled strictly techno concept; Bunkerbound returned to The Source Bar Maidstone, celebrating five successful years, which has seen the brand gain significant growth and status within Kent's underground music scene.

Developed with stripped back minimalistic sounds at the forefront of the pioneer's minds, the music played at Bunkerbound is the core of it's parties. Live sets with instruments, machines and Richie Hawtin's Model 1 Mixer form the underground noise of their nights. Orchestrated by a group of carefully selected residents and guests, designed to deliver an experience like none other in Kent.

The concept was created back in 2012 by Paul & Si Neary, influenced by some of their own techno idols including Richie Hawtin and Dubfire. Their niche approach of a specific, standalone style has seen Bunkerbound gain critical acclaim within the area, and a dedicated following from promoters, ravers and put real trust in it's home venue; The Source. Growing from a small party based in the courtyard of The Source, to a packed out full club event, cementing their place on the venue's calendar. Now on their fifth birthday, they promised to deliver yet another journey into their beloved sounds, with exclusive versus and b2b sets, including a 6 hour showcase from the head honchos.

Production 

Bunkerbound make a point of darkening its scenery, blackening wherever possible and contributing to the eery atmosphere created by the techno genre. An addition to the courtyard saw a Co2 cannon fire off for big pumping drops, a great touch which we'd like to see more of in the courtyard. Aside from The Source's usual production and Martin Audio sound system, giant black balloons and confetti streamers to mark the occasion found their way into the main room, let loose on big moments during the night and also getting a thumbs up from us.

DJ Sets

Many previous Bunkerbound events have solely focused on the stripped back aesthetic side of the techno sub-genre; minimal. More recently has seen the inclusion of harder hitting and pumping sides of the genre. Adding some depth and variety, spread across the two available rooms. Whilst the three headed beast b2b2b threw down some broken-beat minimal sounds in the main room, the courtyard focused on a more hard hitting, high energy techno approach. Consisting of those profound booming kicks which reverberate off the cobbled floor. 

 Frankie Staines vs Tom Perrin
Two local DJs Frankie & Tom sculpted with likeminded styles provided us with one of the versus b2b sets. They took the courtyard into an episode of high tempo rollers, intertwined with those gripping prolonged build ups that get any raver wired with anticipation for the thumping drop. The addition of the Co2 cannon demonstrated it's value here, complementing the big drops perfectly and firing up the crowd's spirits. Playing from 12-2, with the 6 hour marathon coinciding in the main room they still managed to max out the capacity of the courtyard, with a popping atmosphere created by some fine track selection. Tracks such as Matt Sassari's remix of "Toxik" and Ron Costa's take on "Guy" had the crowd locked into the courtyard. 

Tommy Lamb vs Ryan O’Shaughnessy
Closing duties can always be a challenge, captivating the crowd’s mood and attention to keep them dancing not only during the early hours, but also as the 6 hour showcase was entering it's peak. For Tommy and Ryan they made light work of it, two favourites on the Bunkerbound line ups and they clearly demonstrated why. A bundle of experience between them was on offer as they delivered a multitude of music and skill. Opting to focus on a slight change of pace and creating an atmospheric setting, with plenty of vocal loops such as "Hold Home" by Santos. A great addition to the night. 

Paul Neary vs Si Neary vs Lewis Clark
In celebration of Bunkerbound's 5th birthday, the brand’s three headed beast had planned an exclusive set to mark the occasion. A 6 hour techno spectacle, taking us on a mind blowing and comprehensive journey across the techno spectrum. The Neary brothers alongside close friend and Bunker resident Lewis Clark delved into their darkest techno archives, pulling out the filthiest, stripped back, minimal sounds to shake the foundations of The Source Bar, and send the crowd deep into a techno abyss. 

This set was certainly not for the light hearted, with all kinds of synthesised sounds and rhythms emerging into heavy drops, sending their crowd of true techno lovers into a state of euphoria! Bunkerbound holds a trait that many other events really struggle to do; keeping a crowd right until the lights come on. 6am rolled up and the main room was still rocking and raring for more. The following of genuine enthusiasts and like-minded friends who have joined the Bunkerbound journey were ready to party with them until the sun rose. We strongly believe this is down to the niche and core elements of the party, which are a real contrast to other events available in the area. The only strictly techno party in Kent, with underground tracks channeled through live machines.

As the trio treated us with an incredible track selection and creation that would leave any crowd in awe, it's no surprise the room was popping until the very end. Mircea Ivan's "Volatile" was a nice touch to draw their crowd into the 6 hour marathon from the outset. A track with a heavy baseline, pumping through The Source Bar's Martin Audio sound system. Another roller played was Ryogo Yamamori's remix of "Luminar Flow" by Mamoru Hamada. Starting off slow and heavy, the pace picks up as the track builds, keeping that heavy hitting bassline to slam through the speakers and glue the crowd to the dance floor. A truly enjoyable and standout set, hearing tracks and sounds which are much out of the ordinary, breaking away from the standardised track selection found in the majority of events. The additions to production in the form of confetti streamers and giant balloons also added further excitement and buzz to the already electric atmosphere. 

Overall

This won't be the last birthday we see inside the bunker, not for a long shot. With the brand throwing a successful street party at The Source earlier this year, acting as a real statement of how far they've come, we hope things can only improve in 2018. The past five years has seen the brand educate much of the local scene about the offering of music lesser known or distributed within the area. We'd like to see Bunkerbound push these boundaries even further, whilst maintaining the core values of their party, a task which can be difficult to achieve but one we're keen to watch. Here's to the next five years Bunkerbound. 9.5/10