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DJ Mag Top100 Clubs
26
Matter
| NEW ENTRY

Never bet against Keith Reilly and his Fabric team. When Reilly opened matter last September, cynics might have balked at the idea of attracting 5000 ravers a week to a space marooned in the industrial no-man's-land of Greenwich Peninsula. But seven months on, Reilly and co. have stuck one in the eye to the doubters with Sven Väth's Cocoon, Bugged Out, John Digweed's Bedrock and Dubfire's Sci+Tec all stepping onboard and numbers rocketing by the week.

All exposed stone and clean steel, the neo-industrial main room is the centrepiece of what is unquestionably the most expertly designed venue in the capital. With sub-woofers under the floor, the customised Body Kinetic soundsystem takes Fabric's prototype to the next level, whilst 3D lighting effects and LED screens create an immersive audio-visual experience that is unlike any other in the capital. Period.

But it's the little touches that matter most. Boasting almost triple the toilet allocation of Fabric, the venue also uses a bespoke barcode cloakroom system that speeds the usually painful process to an ultra-quick optimum.

"The whole place is geared to keep people away from the bars, toilets and cloakrooms and make sure they are down in front of the speakers, involved with what's going on," explains Cameron Leslie, Reilly's main partner in the project.

"Most clubs will pour all their money into one aspect of the club and forget about something else, but the Fabric team always strive for perfection on all levels," explains John Digweed. "The best lighting and sound is always guaranteed but also things like making sure the air conditioning is just right.

"From a performance aspect, you're right in the thick of it with the crowd in front of you and balconies on all the different levels above. It gives it a coliseum effect with you at centre of the storm."

After a feet-finding start, the atmosphere in that storm is now hitting tornado-level intensity every week too. Anyone doubting the venue's initial programming can only applaud a roster that marries d&b favourites Ram and Hospitality with soulful house giants like MN2S and Louie 'Masters At Work' Vega's Soul Heaven and new success stories like Nic Fanciulli's Saved Sessions.

At a time when London clubbing needs it the most, matter is making it happen.