In the dark and early hours of a bitterly cold January morning Manchester witnessed the end of an era. Over five years the Warehouse Project (WHP) had made Store Street its residence and welcomed some of the finest musicians, electronic or otherwise, from across the globe to fill the foundations of Piccadilly Station with sounds of the most superlative quality. The venue ‘beneath the streets’ had become the nerve centre of Manchester club life, the standard bearer for electronic events in the North and the first natural home of the Warehouse Project. Thousands of clubbers who passed through the arches were left with a sense of consternation for the end of Store Street but out of the darkness of that January morn was born a new dawn.

Image by Sebastian Matthes

This Easter weekend saw the Warehouse Project rise once more.

Now located on Trafford Wharf Road under the watchful eye of Old Trafford, the new venue had much to live up to. If Old Trafford is the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, look to Wharf Road as a pantheon of illusion; a raw, stripped down domain where those who enter are struck by wonder, shock and awe. The building is a vast, chambered structure that has lay dormant for years until WHP breathed life into its cavernous expanse providing a space that can accommodate up to 5000 patrons. The three main rooms have been given the typically unvarnished titles of Room 1, Room 2 and Room 3.

Room 3 lines a corridor connecting its two larger counterparts and an inner court that serves as the main bar area. Room 3’s boundary is defined by large strips of PVC akin to those hanging on a back alley butchers door, leaving only a clouded view of what lies beyond. From 19.30 onwards cerebral beats were presented to a compact and beholden crowd by the likes of Greg Lord, Damu, XXXY, Scuba and Andro. With stand out sets from Damu, XXXY and Scuba, Room 3 carved itself out as a platform for adept music that was both innovative and energised.

Image by Sebastian Matthes

Room 2 consists of an elongated concrete avenue consolidated by ceiling high pillars all along its length. Located at the rear of the club this gallery had some outstanding supporting acts on show from 19.00 including Eats Everything, Julio Bashmore, Benoit & Sergio, Nina Kraviz, Heidi and Phillip Jung (M.A.N.D.Y). The acclaim really has to go to the two ladies in the line up who capitalised on the boisterous atmosphere of the occasion. A vivid and elegant set from German duo Benoit & Sergio was closely followed by Russian Goddess Nina Kraviz who took her opportunity to raise the pace with aplomb. Kraviz plays music with warmth of emotion yet still remains as tough as tempered steel. The tempo only continued when Canadian born DJ, Heidi took the helm, picking up where Kraviz left off, her uncompromising sound echoing to every corner of the hollowed distance that is Room 2.

Image by Gemma Parker

The top of the bill had some of the most accomplished acts on the planet performing who were tasked with filling the monolithic Room 1. Loco Dice, Jamie Jones, Carl Craig presents 69 Live, Maya Jane Coles and Claude Von Stroke had the privilege of gracing the stage in front of an ocean of enthralled clubbers. The dancefloor is a colossal space with a tremendous vaulted ceiling that was literally wall to wall with writhing flesh. The lighting system is paralleled with the O2 Arena in London, boasting an insane amount of lasers, which really create a sepulchral atmosphere. Krysko, Von Stroke and Coles ramped up the crowd into a lather early on, leaving Carl Craig to introduce his 69 Live show. Craig has created a live techno experience that is experimental to the extreme, fusing together instrumental soundscapes with throbbing tech beats to create a set that oozes originality and spontaneity.

When the inimitable Loco Dice took to the decks it was inevitable he would conquer all that he surveyed. His set was an overwhelming attack on the senses, mobilizing his direct style to full effect he tore up the main room like no other even dare. He diced up bloodthirsty bass, barbarous beats and cadaverous grooves that left the crowd breathless, proving that he is capable of providing a set like no other. The sound system was worked to breaking point while the lighting reached epileptic proportions. Closing the event was Jamie Jones who has reached the highest echelons of the dance music hierarchy over the past few years. He had the unenviable proposition of following Dice but rather than challenging his frenetic pace he brought the sound down to a deeper, more immersive level. When he dropped HNQO’s plunging house track ‘Point of View’,due out on local Manchester label Electronique the WHP congregation were impelled to hand their very souls to the transcendental music.

Image by Sebastian Matthes

A special mention has to be extended to the Maouris events company who gave us a personal tour upon our arrival to the new venue. The Warehouse Project has performed a miracle at Trafford Park, animating a wasteland bereft of life into a venue that will amaze and bewilder. WHP truly has a new home