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Written byJosh Raynham
To rave in Cape Town is to fully embrace the music coming out of our beautiful Mother City. It is the connection made between the dancer and the DJ. The floor, full of bodies moving and grooving to each beat and melody mixed.
Just Between Us satisfied our hearts and allowed us the space to dance the night away. So, to show the appreciation that this event deserves, we take a look at what happened at the Factory on the 21st of July.
The Factory has seen many a rave since it first opened its doors. Each new organiser dreaming up more possibilities for the space and turning each event into a memorable experience. That is exactly what Just Between Us did.
Entering into the Factory, James Probert from Palm Black was putting some ink into peoples skin. It offered people a chill space to hang out and decompress for a minute of two. It also gave me big Cyber Punk vibes, as the techno played hard in the background. Oli Daffan was also in the works doing some live painting in the back.
These two installations just gave the event a more active feel as every space was utilised yet transformed.
Debuting a completely new dance floor, the team pulled out all the stops to incorporate an experience filled with sound, light, and the feeling that no matter where you stood, you were surrounded by someone raving just as hard as you.
Mikey and Schumi opened the proceedings, playing some minimal dub to ease the crowd into the night. As most events go, the beginning of the night starts off slow, so the sounds that these two selectors brought were the perfect way to enter into the space as it began to fill up. Blaqkongo came in at around 9:30, speeding up the proceedings with some dub house that really began to move the ever growing crowd.
Two selectors I was looking forward to seeing play together came in the form of Paz Shina and De Moda. Already well established in the Cape Town scene, their B2B set showed a few unreleased tracks and some quicker rhythmic bass. These two work well together, and their knowledge and pure love for the sound showed through as they spun their way towards midnight.
Now, when speaking of Cape Town music selectors, a name that will always get me excited are our local hero’s Novelty. What Dan and Craig have created is truly a work of passion that knows no bounds. Wherever they are, they have this ability to raise the crowd to the roof with their upbeat tempos and house classics. This night was no different, as they had the dancefloor moving for almost two hours straight. They even graced our ears with one of their new releases, an uptempo remix of the 2022 house favourite “Too Much for Me”.
Closing the event, Gad came in at 2 and went straight for it. Often curating sets that tell a story, Gad was able to keep the crowd on their toes as he went for the faster, higher energy approach. It was an energy that just kept on building with each track played as he rolled out some hard grooves and bass.
“Going in, I was trying to be as relentless as possible”, said Gad, and it truly showed.
Having just celebrated their one-year anniversary in March, Just Between Us has shown the growth and dexterity of an event that leads through connection and through the love of the music shared between each person who attends.
“I can’t actually believe we made this, says Gabriel Gad. It just blows my mind to see where we have come from and what we have created.”
While the team that makes up Just Between Us is small, the support within the scene allows one to fully embody their vision, and I really do believe Gabriel accomplished this. What Just Between Us has become and where it is going are both part of the journey. Each event is as unique and special as the next. Cape Town is a place where expression is sought after and where ideas are allowed to flow, just as long as those with the ideas are willing to put in the work and energy. Just Between Us gave us that energy.
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