As a symbolic celebration of the 12-inch in dance music, 12x12 proved the diversity of the sub-cultures it has driven as well as the immense flexibility of the format. Each of the twelve big guns performing (plus Academy 2010 participant B.Bravo on warm-up duties) stepped up to the remit at this Red Bull Music Academy event at the London Scala, in association with Warchild, to represent one of their defining anthems in 12 minutes – with a different tactic: Peter Hook, Martyn Ware, Arthur Baker, A Guy Called Gerald, Jazzie B, MJ Cole, Robert Owens, Roni Size, Shades of Rhythm, Shy FX, X-Press 2, and Zinc.
 


Take the differences between Roni Size, Peter Hook and Arthur Baker. Backed by Dynamite MC The be-dreaded Bristolian played a series of various blockparty bombs from his hip hop and dancehall box leading up to his own Brown Paper Bag, while Hook stuck to extended remixes of New Order’s Blue Monday to play out the night. Baker’s decision to put on some extended interstellar improvisations over the original Planet Rock beat was a special treat.
 


Another comparison the setup demanded was the variety in the ways producers have gone about creating dancefloor euphoria. Robert Owens singing I’ll Be Your Friend was classic gospel loved up stuff while X-Press 2 showed a tougher but equally addictive edge with the percussive Muzik Express. Shy FX and the masterful Stamina MC roughed it up with a huge selection whose apex was the ragga jungle anthem Original Nuttah.
 


Among all this were several unique moments, not least (Heaven 17 keyboarder and producer) Martyn Ware singing (!) the lyrics to the gloriously cheesy Temptation. Shades of Rhythm were the epitome of happy hardcore blissed-out synths and trippy vocals with Sweet Sensation and The Sound Of Eden, and Jazzie B and MC Chickaboo opening with the signature Soul II Soul style was a call to originality that set the bar for the rest of the night.
 


Finally there were the producers that straddled genres and their accompanying eras. A Guy Called Gerald played a special edit of Hacienda anthem Voodoo Ray with some darker jungle sounds sandwiched in the middle, a move paralleled by MJ Cole’s garage/dubstep/garage approach to Sincere. Zinc effortlessly demonstrated his range spanning from Super Sharp Shooter to his template-switching 138 Trek and his current hit Wile Out – it seems needless to say the crowd were hyped at Ms Dynamite’s appearance.
 


Unlike RBMA’s Culture Clash, there was no one winner nor any sort of controversy. Instead the ram-a-jam audience at Scala was treated to a flash-by UK dance history experience heightened by Hexstatic’s witty and adaptive visuals, and went home raved up to the max.


BONUS: Kool Clap (Vulture Music, Paris) - Live from London - 12 x 12 Aftershow Party, Scala