UEA Electronic Music Society hosted a high-energy night in December at the recently opened Deadwax Social on St George’s Street, showcasing the variety of talented DJs the society has to offer.

Starting off the event at 7:30 was Melvyn, easing everyone into the night with house and UK garage. A full sound with rhythmic, danceable beats drew people upstairs to the dance floor to be won over by the fun, classic club atmosphere he was cultivating on the decks.

As the floor began to fill, drinks in hand and ready to dance, George James charged the room with groovy, deep house, showing off his smooth transitions and ability to keep a steady energy. He got everyone on the floor moving and perfectly set up the crowd for the rest of the night.

Next up was Odysseus, with a high-energy performance full of more UK garage and house music. At this point, the room was nearing full, and everyone there was dancing and getting into the music. Rhythmic, energetic beats echoed from the speakers, sprinkled with household lyrical tracks from Charli XCX to Estelle, creating a familiar yet fresh sound and an overall really enjoyable set.

Then came hard drums from Terez, marking a shift away from the sound so far to a more experimental one, a shift that was clearly welcomed, as the crowd matched their movement to the higher energy sound, industrial beats filling the room. The loud, powerful drums were enhanced by the great quality of the sound system at Deadwax, as Terez set the tone for the rest of the night.

Around 10pm, Cybertarnished [Trish] came to the decks, and the whole floor was now completely full. As soon as the first track hit the speakers, I knew this would be my personal highlight of the night. Clean, choppy acid breaks got everyone dancing as Trish conducted the room with big builds and drops, with payoffs that were obvious from the increased movement of the crowd. A great showcase of acid techno and a fresh sound for Norwich.

Following on was Joe Badham with more techno and breaks, cleanly picking up from the previous set and keeping everyone moving. Their impressive transitions and ability to build and foster the room’s energy made for another top set, speedy and bassy with a strong groove throughout.

As midnight neared, next came Milton with some dubstep, keeping in the 140s, as heavy sub bass and sharp snares saturated the upstairs of the venue. To be frank, when I saw dubstep on the lineup for the evening, I was discouraged, expecting screeching and aggressive brostep, something I’ve never been a fan of.

But Milton’s tight mixing and powerful drops made for an exciting and vibrant set with a fresh, complex sound. UK dubstep fused with garage and grime influences, his performance changed my own perspective on the genre and got everyone in the room interested and moving.It was definitely a major moment of the evening.

Closing the night was J Hefty, with full and energetic drum and bass. The floor, packed with DnB fans, radiated energy, and it was clear everyone was enjoying themselves and feeling the music. His fluid transitions, strong presence and accessible yet complex sound, accompanied by heavy basslines, made for the perfect ending to the night. He clearly knows how to control a room and foster a set that is energetic and, most importantly, fun.

It was an incredible performance from all the DJs at a fresh venue with lush, immersive sound quality and atmosphere. Deadwax is definitely worth checking out for students, with a 20 per cent discount every Thursday and a wide variety of great beers. I’d highly recommend anyone interested in electronic music to keep an eye out for EMS events in the future, whether you are hoping to catch some high-energy sets from talented student DJs across a variety of genres, or simply to enjoy a night of bass, breaks and beers.

Image Credit: Rosie Newman