TechBox III at Bomo Bunker 02.02.18

Our first venture on the road for 2018 took us to the coastal town of Bournemouth, where a newly formed party has been causing quite a stir for local house & techno heads.This event would mark the third outing for the new concept, with word of the energy fuelled parties having already spread throughout the local area since their launch in September 2017.

Born through five like-minded collaborators, TechBox was created with the aim of delivering hard hitting underground beats, in a dark intimate setting. With Bournemouth's offering of house & techno being fairly limited, TechBox soon found it's place in the area's agenda, with the third show selling out in advance.

Venue 

TechBox's venue of choice was Bounremouth's answer to a gritty, underground Sankeys esque basement; The Bomo Bunker. Found in the heart of town and the perfect setting for the brand's chosen style. Previous events were held solely in the venue's underground room, however the huge demand for Techbox's third instalment called the need for an additional room to be opened; The Gallery.

Between the two rooms houses a capacity of 400, the underground Bunker offering a dark, close-walled, low ceiling setting, whilst the The Gallery gave some contrast with a brighter open space.

Drink Prices
Beer : £3.70-£4.00
Mixer : Single £4, Double £5.50
Water : £2

Very reasonable, or maybe we're just used to London prices... Either way nobody can complain at 3.70 for a Beer these days.

Heat 
At full capacity, the underground bunker can become uncomfortable but not unbearable, a ventilation or fan system would be welcomed in future for busy nights where the heat will undoubtably rise.

Venue Staff
An effective door system kept the entry to the venue swift in the bitter February weather, whilst the two bars within the venue were well manned for the entire night, keeping queues to a minimum.

Crowd 
It was clear from the crowd that TechBox is a home-grown event true to it's roots, with many of the attendees knowing the event runners to some degree, creating a real positive and enthusiastic atmosphere. With Bournemouth being known for it's university nightlife, a young crowd full of energy filled The Bomo Bunker, ready for TechBox to deliver the goods.

                                               

Production & Sound

Production
Production in a small venue can often be overpowering, however some sound choices were added to the bunker, with par lights in corners of the room to set the scene. The big guns were found in the DJ booth, where two rotating beam lights either side of the DJ looking out onto the crowd gave the real light show for the night. Behind the decks also found an illuminated LED screen labelling TechBox - nice touch. Not shy to invest where needed, the TechBox team ploughed further funds into their sold out third show, with additional production installed in The Gallery. Colourful inflatables and a bespoke lighting rig fitted for the night held a selection of strobes & par lights, LED sunstrips and even the fan favourite - a confetti cannon.

A great base of light offering at the venue, although further enhancements to the production would be great to see in The Bunker, LED strips on the low ceilings and close walls would immerse viewers in the setting, whilst additions such as LED screens around the DJ booth would bolster the visual experience.

Sound
Another factor which can be tricky in a small venue, a powerful Funktion one system was in action with additional smaller speakers in some corners of the room. Whilst this was effective in areas close to the booth, other parts of the venue were lacking in loudness and bass. Additional speakers to provide a 360 degree audio experience would be a great addition here.

DJ Sets

Sparkes b2b Marley
Taking the reins after Marnold's warm up duties was a b2b set from Danny Sparkes and Marley Cooper, which led the low ceilinged intimate Bunker into a flurry of pumping tech and popping disco vibes. Only an hour since the doors of the Bomo Bunker opened and already a stream of people filled the venue in anticipation for the night. With bodies piling into the room, the b2b duo cranked up the vibe, dropping the vibrant and distinguished classic 'Pasilda by Afro Medusa. The feel-good Latin infused house track always receives a warm reception, getting the crowd's feet moving. As the set progressed we saw the boys move away from the bouncy house and dive straight into those heavy bassline bangers such as Camelphat’s beast of a track, ‘Monster', sending the crowd deeper into TechBox's journey of sound.

RSquared

Commonly underground music events will follow one genre for the duration, However Techbox’s signature style chose to take a different approach, offering a comprehensive selection of house, techno and related sub genres. Using the upbeat energy given off from the house tracks to build a scintillating vibe, before slowly transgressing into a darker, thumping techno beat. Closing the tech house side of the night was local duo Rsquared who dished out a selection of uplifting disco tech vibes. Opening with Patrick Topping’s summer anthem ‘Be Sharp, Say Nowt,’  and mixing into Elliot Adamson’s Eacapella of Mall Grab’s ‘Feel Good House,’ set the duo off on a high, with every hand up in the air. A particular highlight, was a tribal drum roller from Leandro Da Silva titled ‘So Crazy,’ that incorporated a distinctive sample from Jennifer Lopez’s 2011 release ‘Run the World', leaving the crowd in high spirits ready for the Ansell's techno induced mix. 

James & Chris Ansell
Playing the peak time set were James & Chris Ansell. Hailing from Maidstone, the brothers have an abundance of experience behind the decks, as well as their very own Techno concept; Project E holding dates in the calendar at Kent's leading underground venue; The Source Bar. Their set at TechBox proved to be an absolute hair raiser, upping the tempo and delivering a techno masterclass. Selecting darker, deeper, heavy hitting sounds through the venue's Funktion One speakers and exhilarating the packed out crowd. Anna’s 'Hidden Beauties' being a huge stand out track, giving a steady acid build up followed by a thumping bassline - enough to send shivers down your spine. Shortly after followed Amelie Lens's Drumcode release  'In Silence'. A track which erupted into the Bomo Bunker, signifying a breakthrough year for the Belgian superstar with a massive reaction from the Bournemouth crowd.

Joe Kelly
Closing duties were at the hands of Joe Kelly, tasked with keeping the momentum after a high paced set from the Ansells. The Bournemouth based DJ who's previously graced the decks at renowned venue Egg LDN rose to the challenge, maintaining the room at capacity until the dying moments, keeping the crowd's spirits high with a carefully orchestrated blend of techno stompers and uplifting anthems. Following the style of the night, the set began with Boxia’s absolute stomper 'Point of No Return' leaving the foundations of The Bunker shaking. With the set coming to a close, Joe delved into some atmospheric, uplifting tracks, 'Domino' by Oxia and Biceps 'Aura' overwhelming the packed out crowd and bringing TechBox III to an emphatic close.

Overall

Connecting with your crowd and filling your parties with energy and positive vibes has worked wonders for TechBox. A real chemistry is also evident between the DJs and team running the event, creating a close-knit feel which has clearly paid off, with only three parties in and already sell out shows on the books. Word of the brand has now begun to spread from the coastal town, with stints at festivals around the UK and Europe in the bag for 2018. Hifields, Budafest and Spring Break Amsterdam are just some of the confirmed bookings for the home grown concept, who knows what else is up their sleeve.  7/10



Image credit : Techbox