Words by Rachel June @mixdjrj
Photo credit: Pedro Sedso / Functional Lens media + Jake Davis / @KhromaCollective.
P.O.V., it's opening weekend at the hottest new club on the Brighton scene, Quarters. For someone who is well-versed on clubbing in Brighton and has explored just about every one that’s been and gone (R.I.P. The Arch), I was surprised to find that the newest and most visually intriguing ‘Quarters’ hosted the best drum and bass night I’ve had in many, many years.
Starting strong in their long list of epic DJs to grace the stage, SHY FX headlined, and boy, did he bring the house down. The sounds of my childhood played to a room of die-hard fans amidst new ravers, and Shy showed them how we used to party!
All I keep hearing these days is “Club Culture is dead!” and thankfully, Quarters came to set the record straight. Their values are clear: ‘Inclusivity, Affordability, Community, and Sustainability’. They care mostly about flow: sound, space, people and purpose. Sound is the most important ingredient for a lively dancefloor, and at Quarters, it was crisp, clear, and loud. The space became a playground to escape into, where strobe lights flashed above heads whilst drum and bass, jungle, rap, and electronic music filled the room.
An ASBO legacy act who came and delivered - SHY FX didn't just stick to what we know and love, but sampled some new music and got on board with the exciting electronic era that’s appearing in 2025. Backstage, a fan girl moment arrived when I told him, “WE USED TO LISTEN TO YOU IN SCHOOL,” in which Shy replied, “Now I feel really old”.
Shortly after, we were surprised to be dance-floor bound when Jay-Mo shot up to the decks. One banger after another with enough breathing room to see the song through - she was a master of the craft. Songs drifting in and out of each other with ease, slow build-ups with epic rewards - Jay-Mo left us dancing till 3 am when our intended curfew was 1 am!
Before Jay-Mo hit the stage, we asked her friend, “What sorta music does she play?”, “Everything”, her friend replied. And she wasn’t wrong. Jungle, house, drum and bass and everything in between blasted from the decks and onto the booming dancefloor. Her set required multiple stretch breaks in between the dance moves (a must when clubbing sober). All in all, she massively surprised us, and we were in awe of her crazy set!
Our night came to a close when TLB sent us into orbit with his heavy drum and bass set. We gasped for air and prayed for a bad song so that we could leave, but alas, we were bound to the dance floor. After using the rest of our energy, we called it a night, ending on such an unexpected high.
On the way home, we rehashed the evening - laughing about meeting our childhood DnB hero while absolutely wrecking every muscle in our bodies in the name of really, really good drum and bass. We ended up on the lawns at 4 am, devouring free chicken courtesy of City Kebab - and that’s when you know club culture is truly back.
Huge thanks to Quarters for giving us a space to dance, feel safe, soak up incredible music, and share a night full of love. ASBO will be back. Will we see you there?
