In a rare opportunity (that you KNOW I would have LOVED to tell you about
before it happened) I spun a 3 hour IDM set at the home of Bostons most
potent sound and light rig, Avalon. To give you an idea of what we're
dealing with here...
The booth was on the 3rd floor or reverse balcony I prefer. (Note: there
was nice 'open' bar up there which services 4 oval booths which could
accomodate the whole IDM crew of Boston if it had to, and in a manner which
they would have been accustomed to. (read: comfortable...you know the
feeling).
My monitor was directly above me and my view down to the 3 turntables and 2
CD players included a straight shot down to the keyboards and monitors and
machines and more machines (read: I've been away from clubland for so long,
when did they start using moveable lighting rigs?) and last the dancefloor,
which for the most part remained full of people getting things to eat and
milling around. IDMMMMMM
I kicked the night off with Autechre's 'second bad vibel' which in my mind
would make for a superb soundtrack for the very video game (TerraNova) they
were having this party for. Knowing I had plenty of time to check the main
floor sound I hustled down the stairs to ground zero and surveyed the
scene...yup, IDM makes it to Avalon, who would have thought.
The party progressed along nicely with a solid space beat buzz that
permeated the higher ups of Looking Glass Technologies (lucky for my ass I
got paid in $100 cash (no secrets here). Here's a quick run down of the
headbobbers, the caught starings and the good time grooves.
Cat no. Pure 12 (100% pure)
Tough Dutch style hip hop and retro electro. Like Paul Bishop on
a double shot of Chemical Brothers Finest drinking with Arno Peeters.
james bong - never say ? (2 kool)
Immediate thanks to eh for the tip to this one. A sparse yet heartily
percussive funky drumline ripps along with a bottom warming bassline
with firm footings in dub. 1996 and the definition of DUB continues.
tranquility bass broadcast standard (exist dance)
Still holding court but currently out of the picture (Ore-gone?) are
these 2 monster repress/remix projects of old. (Hey it's a sci-fi
video game party you have to pull out your 'space' jams!) Kandel
on the sample manhandle...cant touch this style. Come down Mike!
the autechre beast remix (mo wax)
So, all the attention here went to the system and roni size/krust
remix, well Booth and Brown shine a little of the low ride paced
yet resonating with jazz style that I find so endearing.
slack jaw - peenie wallie (earth)
As we progress toward becoming a genre to be reckoned with it will
take two trackers like this one to be the pawns in our strategy.
I find the 'big belly' side infectious enough but certainly it's
hitting home hardest on the people who can manage the complex
big shoulder groove. So save this treat for the ones who can appreciate
it most (experimental goofy-footers) and in the mean time work out the
peenie wallie side (is that some dancehall term?!) with it's more
cleanly produced sprighty and skanky plaidesque klonks!
stasis - warrior/altares (mo wax)
Stasis leaps labels and explores an earnest "trip hop" excursion.
(Oh god I said it...but if we're going to have to live with it we
might as well define it on our own terms). The grooves here are
far from the watered down simple sample styles employed by the lesser
tolerable wearers of the "T#&P H*P" label. This creatively produced
12" draws an instant comparison to the GPR days of BDP with it's
rolling electronic traps and atmospheric sweeps and squeaks.
Shit there's more but I hear some housework calling me...spring
cleaning...now that's a killer tape name huh! (hrmmm)
over and out...
Teep
ps. one final observation, people DIG orbital, they'll do fine @ a lolla
but I still aint going, unless they pay me. HA HA HA, as if.
on now: "unnamed" - the next installment of the best of the beyond the QE2 crew
100 minutes compiled on 3/14/96 @ the treehouse in malden
details phorthcoming....
aran@mit.edu po box 581 cambridge,ma 02142 USA