IDM Mailing Archive

Firstly, thanks to those who replied to my ART/B12 CD query. A 'Warp Showcase' as part of In The City in Manchester - a rather more enticing prospect than, for example, a deConstruction Records night, and something featuring Super Star DJ Keoki. I arrived just in time for Plaid, the most active bearers of the Black Dog mantle at the moment. Their set of 6-7 tunes was resolutely not geared towards easy audience appreciation, and of course all the better for it. A slow junglish number to begin with, which built up from a spare beginning to the trademark level of complication which suddenly resolves itself into a whole both beautiful and menacing. There followed several extended 606 workouts, garnished with unusual noises and toe-defying signatures. I heard someone say 'it was a bit schizophrenic' - I'd regard that as an accolade but I'm not sure it was intended as such. The final song evinced the greatest dancefloor potential, with a fairly simple 909 4/4 rhythm, but the other elements were resolutely idiosyncratic. Some brave patrons endeavoured to dance throughout the whole set, oblivious in several cases to their jarring lack of synchronicity with the rhythm track. There were several bubbles adorning their setup on stage - hence the reference on the As One remix CD? Whether or not any of these tunes will appear on the releases scheduled through Warp, I don't know, but Black Dog mourners should have a lot to look forward to. LFO were perhaps a little more conventional but nonetheless enjoyable. One of them manned the 909 perched prominently above their other gear which dominated their set. All the tunes were new (I think) although I suspect some of the rhythm only sequences were more or less improvised. They ended with Tied Up, which made a lot more sense live and unexpectedly (to me) proved an immense crowd pleaser. However, a journalist I was with said that they are changing the tracks recorded for the second LP and that it has been put back until the new year. Can anyone confirm/contradict this? g303? The rest of the night comprised a set from Richie Hawtin, the first time I've seen him. What surprised me was the variation - I had expected an unrelenting assault of hard Techno, but he skilfully mixed various styles whilst still staying on the hard side and manipulated the crowd quite shamelessly (I suppose that is a DJ's job, after all). One of the most coherent sets I've experienced - for once a big name DJ doesn't disappoint. By the way, does anyone have further details on the Nav Katze remix LP, such as whether it has been released in the UK yet? Adam Huffman

On Tue, 5 Sep 1995, Adam Huffman wrote:

quoted 2 lines I arrived just in time for Plaid, the most active bearers of the

> I arrived just in time for Plaid, the most active bearers of the > Black Dog mantle at the moment. Their set of 6-7 tunes was

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quoted 3 lines resolutely idiosyncratic. Some brave patrons endeavoured to dance

> resolutely idiosyncratic. Some brave patrons endeavoured to dance > throughout the whole set, oblivious in several cases to their jarring > lack of synchronicity with the rhythm track.

Hmmm.

quoted 6 lines LFO were perhaps a little more conventional but nonetheless

> > LFO were perhaps a little more conventional but nonetheless > enjoyable. One of them manned the 909 perched prominently above > their other gear which dominated their set. All the tunes were new > (I think) although I suspect some of the rhythm only sequences were > more or less improvised.

They played the Nurture remix which appeared with Tied Up. It whipped the crowd (and me) to a bouncing screaming frenzy. Best thing I have ever heard live.

quoted 3 lines They ended with Tied Up, which made a lot

> They ended with Tied Up, which made a lot > more sense live and unexpectedly (to me) proved an immense crowd > pleaser.

Yeah. I was not a big Tioed UP fan until that night. It really hasd to be heard LOUD.

quoted 4 lines However, a journalist I was with said that they are

> However, a journalist I was with said that they are > changing the tracks recorded for the second LP and that it has been > put back until the new year. Can anyone confirm/contradict this? > g303?

They have been changing the tracks for their 2nd lp for 4 years!! It si now going to be Christmas....

quoted 7 lines The rest of the night comprised a set from Richie Hawtin, the first

> The rest of the night comprised a set from Richie Hawtin, the first > time I've seen him. What surprised me was the variation - I had > expected an unrelenting assault of hard Techno, but he skilfully > mixed various styles whilst still staying on the hard side and > manipulated the crowd quite shamelessly (I suppose that is a DJ's > job, after all). One of the most coherent sets I've experienced - > for once a big name DJ doesn't disappoint.

Huh, everyone else, including people far more important people that myself thought it was bollocks. Could anyone explain the reason for cutting everything every five minutes!! Other than to piss everyone off? Full review and many photos to come. greg The WARP Web Site 3 0 3 http://www.ncl.ac.uk/~n264671/wap-indx.html

On Wed, 13 Sep 1995, mbdscad wrote:

quoted 19 lines In reply to :

> In reply to : > > > > The rest of the night comprised a set from Richie Hawtin, the first > > > time I've seen him. What surprised me was the variation - I had > > > expected an unrelenting assault of hard Techno, but he skilfully > > > mixed various styles whilst still staying on the hard side and > > > manipulated the crowd quite shamelessly (I suppose that is a DJ's > > > job, after all). One of the most coherent sets I've experienced - > > > for once a big name DJ doesn't disappoint. > > Huh - I must have been at a different club? > > > Huh, everyone else, including people far more important people that > > myself thought it was bollocks. Could anyone explain the reason for > > cutting everything every five minutes!! Other than to piss everyone off? > > So you were there too. I think someone (RH?) kept pushing the levels too > high and hitting limiters on the house PA - causing the volume to plummet for > a few seconds - why it kept on happening baffles me. It was bollocks.

No. He did it deliberately, with a level fader on the mixer, along with much smirking amongst his DJ box cronies... Ok, it's fine to cut a few beats ocasionally, for effect, Hawtin has alsways made heavy use of Eqing for effect, but this was ridiculous. greg The WARP Web Site 3 0 3 http://www.ncl.ac.uk/~n264671/wap-indx.html

quoted 2 lines Hawtin has alsways made heavy use of Eqing

> Hawtin has alsways made heavy use of Eqing > for effect, but this was ridiculous.

Yeah, that's one of the things that pisses me off about his mix on X-Mix 3 - he goes completely over the top on the EQ sometimes... See ya Tom Churchill E-mail: tom@chrchfam.demon.co.uk Electronic DJ and musician

On 13 Sep 95 at 13:57, g303 wrote:

quoted 3 lines On Wed, 13 Sep 1995, mbdscad wrote:

> On Wed, 13 Sep 1995, mbdscad wrote: > > In reply to : > >

[snip]

quoted 10 lines So you were there too. I think someone (RH?) kept pushing the

> > So you were there too. I think someone (RH?) kept pushing the > > levels too high and hitting limiters on the house PA - causing the > > volume to plummet for a few seconds - why it kept on happening > > baffles me. It was bollocks. > > No. He did it deliberately, with a level fader on the mixer, along > with much smirking amongst his DJ box cronies... Ok, it's fine to > cut a few beats ocasionally, for effect, Hawtin has alsways made > heavy use of Eqing for effect, but this was ridiculous. >

I assumed it was being done deliberately, and it was irritating, but it seemed to me that everyone danced with even more fervour when the music returned. That's what I was referring to when I mentioned crowd manipulation. Perhaps I should have said I enjoyed his set _despite_ all that nonsense. The other thing is, this has happened several times before at Sankey's. Make of that what you will. Adam Huffman