Max HeyraudMelodic’s Ste Flynn soundtracks this week’s Mix of the Week, coming live and direct from Dublin’s Index last May in support of fellow Irishman Mano Le Tough, threading his way through deep, atmospheric, soulful and melody-driven house with delicate perfection.
It’s fair to say the warm-up has become one of the most talked-about and contentious slots you can play, not only in Ireland but in the world. When it comes to closing, there are no rules. Peak-time, the gloves are most certainly off. But when warming up a room, there’s no rulebook as such, though there is an element of respecting the club, the dancers and the arc of the night. Ste Flynn does that, and plenty.
Index is a bigger room, a joy to warm up, but there are certain burdens that come with a bigger room that’s just starting to simmer. It can feel disconnected or disjointed. Flynn brings the room together quickly from the early doors, his delicately woven house grooves warm and bright, a delicate hi to dancers who may still be mainly concerned about getting a drink.
But he doesn’t rest in this space for too long before bringing in some harder-edged, ever-so-slightly tougher cuts. Some breakdowns allow people to breathe before anthemic melodies begin to appear. He’s drawing you into his world, working nearly in the background, dragging you closer and closer to the boiling point.
There’s a real patience to Flynn’s approach, but never one that feels passive. He’s constantly nudging the room forward, adding another layer, another texture, another moment, until suddenly the room is exactly where it needs to be. This is the art of the warm-up done properly: not giving everything away, but making you want to stay for what comes next.