Nightmares on Wax — Boiler Room London, 2013

Filmed in 2013 for Boiler Room in London, this DJ set features Nightmares on Wax (George Evelyn), the British pioneer of trip-hop and downtempo from Leeds, a historic figure of the Warp Records label since the late 1980s. Far from dancefloor techno, his set favors a warm, swaying, soulful electronica nourished by instrumental hip-hop, dub, reggae and groovy samples. Now one of the most-watched videos in the Boiler Room catalogue, this capture illustrates the art of a DJ who knows how to set an atmosphere rather than chase raw energy. In the tight, stage-less Boiler Room format, all the enveloping softness of an artist who has soundtracked two generations of chill electronic-music lovers comes through. This multi-track session testifies to the longevity and coherence of a cult project. A filmed live concert ideal for discovering the downtempo and soul side of British electronica from the 1990s to today, in the hands of one of its founding figures.