Purple Disco Machine @ CODA

Friday night I finally crossed out one of the names at the top of my must see list, as Purple Disco Machine brought his blend of disco funk, soul house to CODA. With disco's popularity seeing a surge, there's been few who have benefited more than PDM, who has been ablaze behind the decks and in the studio over the past year plus. He's been on big time BBC slots in Ibiza and the Essential mix, as well as authoring chart topping originals and remixes. Really this was the perfect storm, and it certainly came to life at CODA Friday night.

The atmosphere was palpable immediately upon arrival as the now typical all black outfits were much fewer and far between as the line at the door was littered with bright, floral patterns. People were giddy to get in and meet up with their friends, and questions as to what tracks Purple Disco Machine would drop arose as the anticipation to take the floor became more real. Upon entering we were welcomed with a new stacked wall of speakers at the back end of dancefloor, essentially enclosing the square with surround sound. CODA has always been known for good sound, but this certainly cements its status as the spot to be.

Already busy an hour before Purple Disco Machine's set, Simon Jain was doing a great job getting the groove started. Sporting a bright ice cream cone patterned tank top and flanked by half disco balls, Simon spun smooth disco house numbers full of string swells, funky bass lines and dope drum grooves. I nearly melted when he took to Yuksek's remix of L'Imperatrice "Vacances," yet this was just the beginning as PDM was soon to follow.

When the familiar face of Purple Disco Machine and his own floral outfit emerged in the booth and the transition became immanent, the crowd cheered thanking Simon Jain and roared in anticipation of PDM's presence on the decks. Building slow and strong the groove and warmth of his set was omnipresent as he offered the perfect blend of nostalgic feels and contemporary production potency. He broke out many of his own productions and a number of repackaged classic samples, all to great appeal.

One of my favourite things about disco and house sets is their long form, extended dance sections. These oppose the kinds of sets happening at Lost Lands this weekend, where its more about rapid-fire drops and banging bass blows. Here you can come and go more, drift in and out of tracks, always able to rejoin the reliable dependable four on the floor presence. You can explore the club and the space, no need to drop everything and run to the floor to go crazy to the drop, just play around how you like and let the music move you. And while Purple Disco Machine wasn't really following A-Trak and Todd Terry's "DJs Gotta Dance More," he was indeed in tune with the crowd, literally and figuratively playing with them. Not giving too much away I've posted a short playlist of some of the tracks I heard Friday, one of those wonderful nights where you truly get lost in the music. Enjoy below and be sure to check out PDM if/when you get the chance. Same goes for CODA who's system and setup is can't miss.

Shakedown - At Night (Purple Disco Machine Extended Remix)

There's no doubt disco is on the rise as of late with Chromeo's Head Over Heels looming large, Diplo joining the fray with Silk City, and A-Trak spinning a disco set during Coachella weekend. All that said, there is perhaps no better indication of disco's latest revival than seeing Purple Disco Machine atop both the Beatport and Traxsource charts. At this very moment the German's remix of classic 2002 Shakedown track "At Night" looks down on all other tracks, regardless of genre. I'm not sure I've ever seen this before, but after a full stream and further thought it's easy to understand why.

Frankie Knuckles said it best, calling house disco's revenge and while people are still ravenous for the likes of dubstep, future bass, trap and other genres, house will always be the heartbeat of electronic (dance) music. "At Night," and Purple Disco Machine's updated version more specifically, blurs the line between the two brilliantly. It has all the hallmarks: a groovy syncopated bass line, glitzy guitar riffs, sublime string swells, intoxicating vocals, and a playful pluckiness that in this extended mix allows for effortless all night dance enjoyment. It is abundantly bouncy, keeping your body vibing from your head to your toes, filling each four-on-the-floor bar with a feeling of freedom and confidence to groove in whichever way you want. And in the end this is exactly what makes disco, house and truly all of electronic music so special; it works on such a visceral level, both singularly personal and as a shared community. There really is no better feeling, so try it for yourself via Defected Records, here.
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