Saturday night at Contra carried this soft ease, the sort that settles in when music, folks, and the moment just click. It started with a short film peeling back the curtain on Exp. Share Records’ new adventure: 13 artists from everywhere gathering in a big hidden house in France, crafting a full album in five days flat. The doc lingers on the setup, the way strangers turn into family through late talks and shared meals. It felt real, warm, like a nudge to remember creativity thrives in closeness.
Then the lights dropped, and the live sets rolled out smooth. Frsh Waters flew in from Chicago, bringing this rooted soul that wrapped around everyone. GINGE landed from London barely half an hour early, yet her performance flowed effortless, full of quiet fire. Eklipse capped it from East London with a grime cut that flipped the chill jazz spot into a pulsing underground vibe, energy rising natural.
KAMAE and Bertholet held the transitions on deck, mixing sounds with a gentle touch that kept everything connected. Hessel du Mark hosted it all with easy laughs and real warmth, pulling the room together like old friends.
Walking out, Contra wasn’t some stage anymore. It was the city’s beating heart for a night, showing how bringing the right voices in one space keeps music alive and human.
