Champion

Champion's live set for the Royal-T takeover is a sleek, self-assured showcase of modern UK garage and bassline, the kind where the producer-DJ gets to road-test their own weapons in a controlled environment. We're all complicit in the cycle of hearing an unreleased VIP and spending months trying to find a clean rip, and this set feeds that obsession. The vibe is a crisp, studio-live hybrid, all sharp production and sub-bass designed to rattle fillings in a club context. With an average BPM of 139.0 and a harmonic focus on 12A, this is functional, dancefloor-ready gear built on swing and sub-pressure.

The energy balance leans low (60%), but the mids are clear and present, allowing the intricate percussion and vocal samples in tracks like 'Lighter VIP' to shine through the weighty low-end. Mixing is tight and polished, as expected from a producer showcasing their own work, with blends that highlight the tracks' construction rather than flashy techniques. The arc is a steady build, using originals to create a cohesive narrative. In a short but potent tracklist, Champion's own 'Lighter VIP' is a marathon, 12-minute opener that establishes the deep, rolling groove.

'Barcode Population' offers a tougher, more experimental edge with its mechanical rhythms, while Soloman's 'Bokeh Creeper' provides a moment of spaced-out, atmospheric respite. It all begins with the extended, hypnotic build of 'Lighter VIP', uses the originals to maintain a consistent, pressurized mood, and closes on the collaborative, vocal-led bounce of 'Weekend' with Prima—a confident, club-focused statement from start to finish.