Up Ya Archives at The Warehouse Project

With the latest season of Manchester’s Warehouse Project well underway, it is with great pleasure that we had the chance to attend the Up Ya Archives takeover of WHP, with Nia Archives curating a brilliant and eclectic lineup that of course, featured a whole host of drum & bass and jungle talent, that included newer artists alongside bona fide legends. 

Upon arriving at the Mayfield Depot, the massive warehouse venue (which is split into three areas the Depot, the Concourse   and Archive, which was hosted on the night by Manchesters finest Hit & Run ) that hosts The Warehouse Project is a sight to behold, such is the siege of the warehouse, with enough going on from beginning to end.

First up in the Depot were Hi-Tech, and the Detroit group got things off to a pulsating start with their patent brand of high energy ghettotech and the rugged beats come thick and fast to a rapidly filling up warehouse.

CASISDEAD, one of the best MCs that this country has ever produced follows and demonstrates exactly why he is held in such high regard as an artist. In front of a giant screen displaying dystopian images and adorned with his DEADCORP imagery, CASISDEAD stalks and commands the stage with his deft rhymes being lapped up by the crowd and thoroughly triumphs despite an initial muddy sound. 

Mixing up tracks from his latest album Famous Last Words with spitting over drum & bass and dubstep beats, the performance is epic and it has to be said that hearing an MC of CASISDEADs calibre over d&b sounds absolutely immense, and as he finishes with his hit ‘Pat Earrings’, he leaves the stage with his DEADCORP crew to resounding applause, having definitely made his presence felt at the Warehouse Project.

We then caught parts of sets by Sicaria with Strategy on the mic in the Archive and Interplanetary Criminal going back to back with Bakey in the Depot that showcased an eclectic mix of 140 sounds before seeing Mantra in the Archive delivering a lesson in deep d&b with Fox on mic duties and demonstrating what a deft selector she is.

The energy levels of the Warehouse Project were raised to an obscene level by 4Am Kru who completely packed the Archive into a roadblock and gave the room an intimate, sweat box vibe as the tunes got flowing. 

Joined onstage by the brilliant Daisy Roots Movement dancers who enhanced the nonstop energetic mood even more, 4AM Kru blasted out anthems from their debut album Incognito Rhythm like Horns for 2024 and Deepest Darkest Jungle to the delight of the packed crowd, and there is not an act in electronic music with as much vivacity as everyone on that stage, and the good vibes were off the scale throughout.

Nia Archives treated to a rapturous reception

With this being her night after all, Nia Archives was always going to be treated to a rapturous reception, but the sheer amount of people in the Depot was truly a sight to behold. From front to back, everyone was there to see Nia Archives play in this massive warehouse and she didn’t disappoint as she shelled down the Warehouse Project with a mixture of tracks from her Mercury Prize nominated album Silence Is Loud and her other anthems like Off Wiv Ya Headz going down unbelievably well with the undeniably huge audience, an audience who never stopped dancing  throughout, and demonstrating why Nia Archives is such an important artist in jungle and drum & bass today. An utter triumph of a performance and everyone in attendance was in awe of how effortless Nia Archives is at delivering an immense vibe with her music. 

Despite clashing with Nia Archives, Tim Reaper, Dwarde and Sully going back to back to back with Navigator on the mic still drew a decent crowd and we managed to catch the end of their set that saw an inspired barrage of jungle from three of the best to be doing this in 2024, and some expert mic skills from Navigator that hyped the crowd up relentlessly. 

Bristol legend Clipz followed and it was a privilege to see him doing his thing and blasting out the anthems in his own inimitable way. With Levelz man Truthos Mufasa spitting fire over the selections of Clipz, this was truly a joy to see and Clipz cemented his legacy with the Manchester faithful as the set drew to a close.

Back in the Depot saw the closing set of Up Ya Archives at the Warehouse Project and what a way to end with a back to back set from the legend that is Goldie alongside Special Request, who absolutely destroyed the place with a truly momentous and awe inspiring lesson in the power of jungle and drum & bass music. Relentless from the get go, breaks that could break heads rained down on the venue and the crowd responded in kind as they danced on, in wonder and admiration of what they were experiencing, and experiencing in the only way to describe this! 

Goldie a larger than life presence

With Goldie a larger than life presence as always hyping up the crowd, he and Special Request dominated proceedings with a formidable arsenal of beats and breaks. 

As Metalheadz are celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, this was a true celebration into the depth of their music catalogue and with anthems like Goldie’s own Inner City Life and John Bs Up All Night blasted out alongside a  whole host of unstoppable beats and breaks, this was a set for the ages, as immense as live jungle and drum & bass gets and a perfect way to end a great event. 

Tonight at Up Ya Archives saw a celebration of the past, present and future of jungle in particular and all manner of British bass music in general as well and in the hands of everyone who played tonight, it’s in safe hands and Nia Archives and her Up Ya Archives team should be applauded for bringing everyone together for a night of  sheer joy and celebration of music and culture.