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SCS – ‘Model Specific’
‘In a roundabout way, this tune [made by Andy Blake] gave birth to WU. It brought Andy to my attention, and I asked him to play at the other night I do, Body Hammer. He played some absolute belters, it was fun, and we decided that once wasn't enough, so we set up WU to give ourselves the chance to play all the stuff we rarely get to play. That was four years ago, and we’re still going.’
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – ‘Welcome to The Pleasuredome (The Fruitness Mix)’
‘This record is very, very WU in many different ways. Andy and I are fascinated by old nightclubs such as Starck [in Dallas, Texas], Danceteria [in New York] and Ku [in Ibiza] – all now closed, and with very little documentation surviving in today’s content-heavy world. These places have become almost mythical: fantasy nightclubs that you only see in films. WU aspires to be that sort of experience, and this record is all about that decadence and abandon. It also says a lot about the power of the 12" dance mix. You'll hear a lot of extended mixes of ’80s pop records at WU.’
Shakti – ‘The Awakening’
‘This has appeared in WU lists before, but I’d be more worried about leaving it out than including it too much. There aren’t many records that sum up what we're about, but this combination of relentless groove and otherworldliness hits the spot. Best played at peak time, it always gets a cheer. I’m not sure if that’s because people know it, or if it’s just down to the song’s voodoo.’
The The – ‘Giant’
‘The best thing about WU, by a long margin, is the excellent people you’ll find on the dancefloor. They’ve made it into a micro society that’s something more than the sum of its parts. This record has been a near-the-end-of-the-nighter since WU began. One of my fondest memories involves the sweat drenched crowd all singing, ‘How can anyone know me when I don’t even know myself?’ I normally find this song sad. Not then, I didn’t.’
As one of Time Out's favourite parties celebrates four years, resident Joe Hart picks four songs that make the night
World Unknown packs clued-up hedonists into derelict spaces and treats them to lashings of electronic eclecticism from its two DJs – Andy Blake and Joe Hart. In advance of WU’s fourth birthday this weekend, Joe picks out four records that define one of London's most adored clubs.
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