Inside the edging-themed Underworld 003 magazine launch

The third edition of Underworld is, by its own admission, “bigger, bolder, and bloody filthier than ever”. For the uninitiated, Underworld is a queer erotic magazine, with its latest iteration featuring the works of 20 independent artists.

Keeping on brand, the launch party at London’s Plantroom was themed around the act of edging, the practice of intentionally delaying or preventing orgasm while maintaining a high level of arousal. To achieve this, each set began with slower tempos, before working up to climactic and heavy finishes. The performances in between became space for revellers to reflect and acclimatise to the art happening before them.

The evening began with a set by Mexico-born designer and amateur disc jockey Dan(na), who mixed the likes of Saint Etienne and Lana Del Rey with titillating techno. Following soon after, Lira Bowels and Ewanicorn donned custom-made pink jester masks before engaging in a ten-minute whipping performance as poetry was read through the sound system. Techno tsarina Gay Rage was up next, turning up the energy with her signature sapphic mixing.

The audience was then treated to a drag number by Princess Pathojen. This 21-year-old tour-de-force kicked the night into high gear with a performance showcasing his skills in tap dance and lip-syncing, using the totality of the space to his advantage; at one point clambering atop the sound rig before cartwheeling across the floor. Holly Warcup came next, entrancing the troupe of partygoers with trance edits and Frapcore (a fusion of French rap and electronic hardcore music) tunes. Previously a headliner for outlandish party series Mums Against Donk, Warcup has become a mainstay at clubs such as Venue MOT, Colour Factory, and The Cause.

Mahsa Salali’s set began with a bang. The crowds directed their attention to the corner of the dance floor. Slowly, she teased the audience, contact mics attached to the walls, floors, and intimate parts as the noise reverberated throughout the room. As she pleasured herself to completion, a loop of “Fleece” by Crystal Castles blended seamlessly into trashedbaby’s set. Oysters were served after.

trashedbaby’s set knocked the night into a new key as the energy erupting from the evening reached fever pitch. Later, Perverse Cowboy began his set with a closing speech sans microphone, choosing to project his voice across the venue. In it, he thanked the individual contributors and gave a dedication of the night to the empowerment and protection of the queer community: “To know a trans person is an honour and privilege of a lifetime. To share life and strength with our sisters, brothers, and siblings is a pleasure too few on this earth know.

“This collective was formed to give voice to the voiceless, a platform for queers of all lands, of all worlds, with the means to speak up! May we arm the queers both in the metropole and in the mire, from Peckham to Palestine, and from Ipswich to Iran, with these means so that we may create for ourselves a world besides their own, an underworld unified in the struggle for salvation.”

As the room erupted with cheers, he shouted: “FROM THE UNDERWORLD, TO ALL WORLDS. NOW LET’S FUCKING DANCE!”

Order your copy of Underworld 003 here now.