Is Digweed’s Last Night At Output His Best Of All Time?

In what clearly was a mind-blowing finale at Output in Brooklyn on NYE 2018, Digweed returns with a special collector’s item from this historic night, as we dare to question, could this be Digweed’s best mix of all time? Neale Moore shares his discerning opinion. Let us know if you agree in the poll below…

As the first CD starts to spin, it doesn’t take too long before we’re locked into that all too familiar JD groove. The near two minute segue into Geist’s “Tiny Little Things” sets the scene perfectly.

For any other DJ, the temptation to go with “big” tracks always an obvious one, but not with Digweed… As he once said, “you have to think five or six tracks ahead and plan these longer sets out”, which is clearly evidenced as “Daydream” and “Southwest” stretch out the first hour… CD One ends with more urgency and a quick scroll through the second disc track list promises more pace and power.

Digweed’s uncanny ability to turn the screw tighter doesn’t disappoint. As you’d expect, Jimpster’s outstanding take on Danny Howells “Earthlings X” and Rathsman’s “Lost Youth” are finely placed. But it’s not so much the individual tracks that makes John the master of these longer sets. As he weaves in tunes from as far back as 2012, what really makes him a master is knowing when and where to place them, along with the technical wizardry he uses to do that.

As three hours fly by, we witness the foot being truly pressed harder on the accelerator… Raxon, Beanfield and Acid Pauli, send the Output crowd in a frenzy. Layers of dark funk and pummelling house, melt into sleek prog and acid house

Last Night at Output can be best summarised as unrelenting assault on the senses, as the final two hours plunge the listener headlong into a furious black hole of techno.

After listening to this for 6 hours, it’s obvious why this man is an icon and inspiration to many. Last Night At Output really encapsulates what John does best in an intimate venue, where the music and atmosphere are paramount. Superficiality has no place to hide.

Last Night at Output is a truly immersive, well structured and perfectly executed mix. If there was one mix I could choose to demonstrate Digweed’s mastery of DJing, then I would probably say it’s this one, for now, because when it comes to spontaneity, beat and key-matching, sample loops start and end points, EQ control, the selection and control of effects… nobody does it better.

For me, the experience of witnessing Digweed’s unique talent is almost undoubtedly always best appreciated in a club environment. As a careful listener, familiar with a reasonably large number of the tracks, this live performance by Sir John gives you a real taste of what you can expect. Whilst this man has almost certainly always been at the top of his game, Last Night at Output is a stark reminder of that.

John Digweed’s Last Night At Output is out now. Buy a copy here