Richy Ahmed [4 Hour Set]

Richy Ahmed returns to Manchester for a rare extended session in the Joshua Brooks basement on 8th May. Four hours behind the decks. No guests, no changeovers. Just one of UK house music's most trusted selectors doing what he does best.

Ahmed's story starts on the dancefloors of South Shields and runs through a decade-plus at the centre of the Hot Creations universe. As A&R for Jamie Jones' label, he's shaped one of the most important catalogues in modern house music. As a producer, his 2013 single "The Drums" with Kevin Knapp earned Pete Tong's Essential New Tune stamp on BBC Radio 1 and remains a genuine dancefloor staple. His own Four Thirty Two imprint, named for the 432 Hz tuning frequency, has become a reliable home for raw, groove-led house with a vinyl-first ethos.
An original resident of Paradise at DC-10, Ahmed has held that position through the party's move to Amnesia and into the current era. His live credentials stretch from a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix to Boiler Room sessions in Ibiza, Fabric Room 1, Panorama Bar, Warehouse Project, and stages at Glastonbury, Creamfields, and Tomorrowland. He featured in Resident Advisor's Top 100 DJs poll for three consecutive years. Recent seasons have seen him tour South America, Australia, and maintain a relentless European schedule without any sign of easing off.

Four hours gives Ahmed the space to work through the full range of what he does. Expect the set to breathe, building from low-slung grooves through percussive house into the kind of peak-time energy that's kept him booked across five continents for over a decade. His sound draws from disco, funk, hip-hop, and Chicago house, filtered through a dancefloor sensibility that's always about the groove rather than the drop.

Joshua Brooks resident Inflair opens proceedings. A Bournemouth native now rooted in Manchester, he's been building a credible profile through releases on Clarisse Records, Planet Haze, and Inermu, alongside remix work for the getbusy label. His warm, funk-influenced house style makes him a natural fit for the early hours of a session like this.

The Joshua Brooks basement is purpose-built for this kind of night. Brick arches, a Void Acoustics system tuned for low-end weight, and the kind of close-quarters atmosphere where four hours of house music from a selector of Ahmed's calibre becomes something properly immersive.

Princess Street, Manchester. Thirty years of underground electronic music heritage in the walls.