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BOOTIN' OFF: BIONIC

Guy Williams' Dalston dance off

Save for a few flats, corner shops and the odd bar, the stretch of Kingsland Road between Shoreditch and Dalston had pretty much vanished — in a clubbing sense at least — until The Shelter, previously The Russian Bar, opened its doors in March. After helping put this trusty late-night haunt back on the map, Guy Williams and his weekly Bionic residency has shifted a few blocks down to Hysteria, until recently Junction Room.

“We wanted to start an intimate weekly house party with a truly mixed crowd and build a family feel, and it's a great spot for that,” Guy Williams tells DJ Mag. “Both Martyn (Fitzgerald) and myself had talked about doing something together for quite a while and we both have a similar vision about music and crowd. The opportunity came along through James who I knew previously, so we jumped at it.”

So far, Bionic has welcomed a vibrant selection of house and disco veterans, including Justin Robertson, Smokin Jo and Terry Farley, each week, drawing upon the experience and following gained from throwing regular Paradise 45 parties in London at East Bloc and Dalston Superstore in recent years. Then there's Guy's 17-year history spinning and producing alongside Thomas Gandey (as Paradise 45) and more recently The Shack (with DRW). He's a no stranger to rocking a dancefloor.

Today, you're as likely to catch him dropping new deep house and nu-disco as you are a vintage bomb or some acid, and these parties are the perfect place for him and his guests to really let loose. Bionic is about creating a warm, friendly vibe in a snug setting without the hassle and cost of bigger clubs in the city, he says. So what's the key?

“It's a weekly party, so whilst they always take longer to build, it's worth it in the end if you keep the music and the vibe constant, so that the crowd know they can rock up and it's going to be good on any Friday,”

Guy rightly points out.  Sounds like he's not the only one turning up each week...