Marking almost one year to date since the heartfelt closure of Leeds’ Mint Club, the larger sister venue Mint Warehouse returns after a several month hiatus to undergo major renovation.
Moving the booth to the far side of the space welcomes an instantly noticeable improvement to the dynamic of the club. A ground level DJ booth casts a personal and informal charm with an obvious nostalgic nod to Mint Club’s design, which echoes throughout the entire venue.
The classic Watergate-style LED roof spans across the entire floor, playing host to a brand new Funktion One system that feels remnant of the setup inside Amsterdam’s Shelter. Two stacks sit in each corner with a six-foot sub sitting to the left of the booth, that sounds simply idyllic. It’s a design destined to bring the best out of artists which was evident from the off.
Long-time Mint residents Bobby O’Donnell and Annie Errez set the tone with an elegant opening, showcasing a refreshing knowledge of the art of the warm up set to an already packed floor.
Berlin based DJ duo The Ghost took to the helm at 22:30, upping the tempo with their ever-impressive record bags spanning a multitude of decades. Shifting through realms of unknown old school house and garage with a touch of slick new school beats soon to be channelled on their forthcoming Ghost Recs imprint.
The upstairs loft space played host to a long time feature of the Leeds circuit and Mugpie resident Ethan Mcnamara, offering a pleasant break from the sweat-box of the main room during peak time.
A humble dedication to his craft is evident in each of Ethan’s sets, again combining the old with the current, sifting through jams like Violet’s 1995 scorcher ‘Burn The Elastic’ neatly between contemporary cuts such as Innershades ‘It’s Time’.
Both rooms lead out onto the club’s outdoor terrace which boasts a neat new flooring, acting as a luscious smoking area with a small boiler room space hosting local spinners throughout the night, as well as a small bar.
Taking over in the main room, Apollonia’s Dyed Soundorom stepped up following The Ghost soon after 12:30am kickstarting a three-hour masterclass. Boasting a more bouncy, tripped out sound than often heard when playing together with Shonky & Ghenacia, the Frenchman eased through a tasteful selection of house and electro-tinged minimal with the likes of Dawl’s ‘Energy Overdrive’, before handing over to Villalobos well into 3am.
The Chilean favourite has been a regular at both Mint venues for many years, hosting an annual summer terrace party often inviting the likes of Zip and Raresh to play alongside himself, as well as frequent solo appearances in the club throughout the year.
Darting into the mix with a ridiculous edit of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’, it was instantly obvious why the flamboyant presence of Ricardo is so welcomed in Leeds. The first couple of hours continued the uplifting vibe set by The Ghost & Dyed, with the addictive groove of Villalobos’ ‘Peculiar’ punching through the system, soon followed by the full 13 minutes of ‘Heiki (Mood Mix)’, inducing many special moments under the mesmeric LED laced roof.
Although, transitioning into the later hours took a significant change in soundtrack. Dips to the tempo and full length plays of several of Ricardo’s tripped out productions drew a twisted welcome to the morning. A dose-able amount of his 37 minute ‘Fizheuer Zieheuer’ surfaced at some point during the latter hours, as well as the classic Depeche Mode ‘The Sinner In Me’ remix.
Without denying the joyful experience of hearing Ricardo’s impeccably produced productions through Mint’s sound system, it was evident that the eager crowd were hungry for a higher energy taste of what the previous guests had brought earlier in the night.
Dyed & The Ghost returned to the booth to see out the final hours with an intriguing back to back set after an extended stint from Ricardo, before eventually wrapping up well into the morning.
Judging from the reception in the club as well as comments pouring across social media, it feels unanimously confirmed that the Mint Warehouse refurb has been a success. From the nostalgic LED roof, to the impeccable sound system, it’s safe to say Mint Warehouse feels a lot like being in Mint Club and is both looking and sounding better than ever.
Check out the forthcoming lineups at Mint Warehouse here
