Dean Blunt’s World Music label takeover, London Corsica Studios with Klein, Vegyn, John Glacier, Bar Italia & CBT

Queues round the block as the enigmatic Dean Blunt’s World Music crew takes Corsica Studios

Something is astir in South London. It’s only been a few months since Dean Blunt’s Black Metal 2 dropped, and he’s now back with a new video, ‘urban hymns’, after DJing a non-mix of trap as Lean Hunt at NTS’ last event on Friday. 

Our spidey-senses would suggest that this signals a new collaborative music project. The video, for example, contains fellow singer-scenesters Poison Anna, Klein and Nina Cristante in tow with Blunt, confidently strutting up to cash machines and strumming away at guitars in a blacked-out car.

But our strongest evidence for a new project is as follows: over the weekend, the Twitter account @evilarrow1997 – self-described as “not dean blunts personal account” – shared details of an exclusive, on-the-door event at London’s Corsica Studios, where Dean’s World Music label would be showcasing some of South London’s finest, most elusive talents. 

Testament to Blunt’s ability to cause entire art-school armadas to form with single social media posts – the tweet has now been deleted – all of South London’s music scene might as well have joined the queue on Wednesday night. 

Corsica Studios being only a 200-odd capacity venue, we would estimate that the bouncers had to turn away at least double that amount of people at the door. The queue probably stretched back to the best part of half a mile. Even guestlist-ees were given a thorough quizzing – it was clear this wasn’t going to be an easy night to get into.

The very last entrants could just about catch the end of Bar Italia, Nina Cristante’s doomy indie grunge project that saw her first LP under the name, ‘Quarrel’, released on World Music last year. Backed by a three-piece band, her performance was a slow nod, and proof of this night would be more than just a DJ’s free-for-all. Exiting to the tune of ‘Skylinny’, a lull followed, wherein this reviewer managed to edge forward, taking in the gloomily backlit room, tinged with a Marijuana-green light.

Many rumours enshrouded the identity of the next act, C.B.T. Some thought it to be Dean Blunt himself – but their hopes were quickly dashed by a request from a voice (not Dean’s) for the lighting guy to “dim the lights”, perhaps since they didn’t want their faces to be revealed. Fortunately for us, this mission of self-concealment didn’t work, and the residual light revealed C.B.T. to be none other than Coby Sey and Tirzah. In a long, slow-burning set of instrumental dub, both artists freestyled angelically, duetting in both round and freeform vocalsstyles. “I’ll always be your baby, your delight”, Tirzah sung-murmured, head down into the layer of mist covering the stage.

After a quick changeover and smoke-break, we were back inside for London rapper John Glacier, backed by Vegyn on DJ duties. Dressed impeccably in a sculptural, geometric stripy dress, Glacier casually took stage left, performing each of her best tunes – ‘Trelawny Waters’, ‘Green Elephants Freestyle’ and ‘If Anything’ included’ – after many CDJ spinbacks. Her music caused some of the most relaxed moshpits we’ve ever witnessed, her beats spanning the opposite ends of trap intensity and cool-headedness.

Towards the end, Klein took the stage for a deconstructed set of ratchet bangers. Liberal with the CDJ’s cue button – rap acapellas sifting in and out of glass shattering sound effects – her set revealed a playful musical mind, with destroyed dancehall remixes of popular songs (take 50 Cent’s ‘In Da Club’) resounding like meteor impacts.

Those patient enough to stay were soon blessed with an appearance from their hero Dean Blunt, despite word he wouldn’t be playing. Bestriding the stage and grabbing the mic, thick glasses and leather jacket over his lean figure, he played one song only: the scammer’s anthem ‘Mugu’. Exiting curtly by dropping the mic, we were soon left in the company of a headline set from Vegyn, whose clippy and energetic DJ set covered everything from rapper-fugitive Tay-K to his own mentor Frank Ocean.

Last night being one of the edgier nights in Corsica’s programme, it’s incredible to witness the hype around Dean Blunt and company. Undeniably, these artists – in cahoots with each other and feeding off each other’s humble mystery – are the pioneers of UK net tricksterism, lo-fi videos, and ‘effortless’ Twitter marketing. 

But that effortlessness pervaded the night itself, and we were left wondering, does all this live up to the hype? Perhaps not. Of course, there was plenty of word about people growing disgruntled with the chaos and leaving early. We have to agree somewhat – but not for the most part. As ever with Dean Blunt, smoke and mirrors blurred the line between ‘lacklustre’ and ‘intentionally low-key’, and we left bemused at best. The word ‘absurd’ still repeats in our heads.

Jude Iago James

Order your vinyl copy of Black Metal 2 here

Check the two new dubs of the Dean Blunt track ‘Stoozy’ here and here