| DJ Sets ::Ministry of Sound Club Nights
N0.
4 RATED CLUB IN THE WORLD BY
DJ MAG
Ministry
of Sound Details...
Ministry
of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street,
Elephant & Castle, London, SE1 6DP. UK
Ministry of Sound is a nightclub, based
in London, England and an associated record label.
Ministry was ranked sixth in the 2009 DJ Magazine top 100
clubs poll 2009. As well as the nightclub in London, there
is another in Egypt. The Ministry of Sound brand also includes
various other products such as dance music compilations and
clothing. Ministry of Sound is owned by MSHK Group Limited,
which has offices in London, Sydney, Berlin and New York.
One of the most famous and certainly
one of the best, Ministry of Sound still cuts it up like no
one else and is never short of a top class act to mix your
night up.
The Venue
Located in a disused bus depot, the venue was initially
chosen to deliver a warehouse feel, reminiscent of early '90s
dance scene. From the outside, it's a massive concrete structure
with the only the pounding bass seeping through the walls
to hint at what awaits within.
With three rooms to choose from, Ministry of Sound has managed
to keep that awesome warehouse feel, matched perfectly with
a touch of glamour. The main bar is the best place to stock
up on drink or rest those weary feet with raised sofas at
the rear. A long metallic balcony stretches across the ceiling,
offering a perfect vantage point for people-watching and,
if you’re glam enough, access to the VIP area.
The Baby Box packs a punch for its size: doused in disco
balls and an array of lights, it always offers a cracking
atmosphere, but it's The Box where all the action really happens.
One of the best sound systems, minimal decor, and outrageous
lighting ensures this room epitomises the dance scene that’s
made Ministry famous. All the big names have played this room
and it's easy to see why they keep coming back for more.
The Atmosphere
From the hairs on the back of your neck to the soles of
your feet when you leave, every inch of your body feels The
Ministry of Sound experience. The punters just want to dance
all night and only the best DJs make the Ministry grade, so
every night is set to be a good one. The only let down is
the queuing outside, but then this is pretty standard wherever
you go.
The Music
It’s urban on Fridays and house on Saturdays - pick
your poison and the club will do the rest. With the likes
of Pete Tong, EZ and Roger Sanchez at the helm, it's a fairly
high pedigree in the booth - all you have to do is check out
the listings and attend the right night for your taste.
The Last Word
It’s easy to see why Ministry of Sound survives where
others have fallen. World class talent, a venue in a league
of its own, and a certain je ne ces quois makes this club
a true superclub.
DJ Mag Club Review...
Lost in a commercial wilderness for much of the early noughties,
the Ministry of Sound has since enjoyed a credibility restoration
that is little short of a miracle.
Still commercially savvy, Saturdays might feature the populist
electro-house of Toolroom, Pete Tong's Wonderland and house
bastion Defected but equally showcase nights like Renaissance,
Steve Lawler's Viva, Sander Kleinenberg's This Is…,
Global Underground and the techno purism of Derrick May's
Hi-Tek-Soul. Even underground party fiends secretsundaze used
the Ministry's courtyard for a series of al fresco shindigs
last summer, meaning DJs like Argy and Dixon played the legendary
venue.
Fridays, meanwhile, have been bolstered by the acquisition
of the longest running weekly in London - The Gallery - as
DJs like Paul van Dyk, Armin Van Buuren and Timo Maas cause
weekly roadblocks.
Of course, one thing that has never been in question is the
layout of Ministry's main room - the famous Box - and the
quality of both the soundsystem and production in there. An
engulfing chasm of sound and light, shot by two multi-coloured
Martin RGB 1.6 lasers, DJs ranging from Tim Sheridan and Steve
Lawler to Pete Tong and Mark Knight agree it one of the best
systems on the planet.
"The Ministry of Sound is like the Old Trafford of
main rooms, it's the venue that all DJs aspire to play,"
believes Mark Knight, whose recent Toolroom Knights party
had to turn away nearly 800 clubbers. "Everything about
the venue is right - the sound, the lights, the vibe. In my
opinion is has the best soundsystem in the world and allows
me to play certain records that only really translate there
because of the sound dynamics."
Again standing tall as one of the globe's clubbing standard
bearers, the Ministry of Sound remains one of the few reasons
you should ever step foot into London's Elephant & Castle
area. If only because it provides such a consuming escape
from the outside world around it.
N0.
4 RATED CLUB IN THE WORLD BY 
