Dobbs b2b MaxQuerade

A b2b at Liverpool's 24 Kitchen Street is always a gamble, and Dobbs and MaxQuerade embrace the chaos with a set that feels like rifling through the most brilliantly unhinged record collection at 4am. This is eclectic dance music at its finest—where hardcore nostalgia sits next to viral edits, and the only through-line is relentless energy. The vibe is that Kitchen Street sweatbox, a room built for abandon, where the crowd is up for anything and the DJs are clearly reading the room with manic glee. Technically, they cover ground from 130 to 158 BPM, averaging 140.3, and use the 12A key as a frequent home base for its energetic, open feel.

The energy balance is a potent 54% low-end thump, 31% mid-range punch for the melodies and vocals, and a sharp 14% high-end for those rave stabs and breaks. Their back-to-back style is playful and daring, with quick cuts and bold juxtapositions that keep everyone on their toes. The crate digging is gloriously unpretentious. Opening with the mysterious Chinese track (roughly 'Liu Er Dog War Song') is an immediate statement of intent.

Dropping Gwendal Le Teurnier's 'Numb' brings a shot of driving techno, while the edit of Nelly Furtado's 'Maneater' is the kind of guilty pleasure that becomes a collective shout-along. The inclusion of Rank 1's trance classic 'Such is Life' is a heartfelt peak, and Source Direct's 20-minute 'Bliss' is a deep, junglist odyssey for the heads. The journey is a riotous tour: from the bewildering opener, peaking with the trance euphoria of 'Such is Life,' and closing on UNIIQU3's hyper-kinetic 'Microdosing,' leaving the room buzzing with spent energy.