We’ve seen 77Klash perform a few times over the past year, most notably as the MC for Major Lazer’s NYC debut and the Trouble & Bass Three Year Anniversary Party, but today he is finally releasing his first EP on Trouble & Bass recordings, Shadow of Death. The five-track EP, his first release in over two years, was produced by T&B’s own Drop the Lime and AC Slater. Shadow of Death layers 77Klash’s hard-hitting raps over beats inspired by a wide range of genres, including dubstep, ragga, hip hop and of course, bass. Check out the title track below, preview the EP HERE, or head over to iTunes to purchase Shadow of Death.
From the moment we set foot at our first Trouble & Bass party, we were hooked. It was their three-year anniversary blowout at Le Poisson Rouge last September, a party that was packed to capacity with a line of people outside, hoping to get in on the madness. With the help of featured guests Skream and Benga (who crowd-surfed, much to the audience’s delight), the Trouble & Bass Crew had the crowd going from start to finish. It was a truly fantastic introduction to Trouble & Bass, a night that AC Slater remembers as “the definition of a good T&B vibe”.
Luca Venezia (Drop the Lime), started throwing parties under the Trouble & Bass moniker during his college years at Bard, but it wasn’t until 2006 that he started the incarnation of Trouble & Bass that we know today. After a six month stint in Berlin, Luca returned to New York and teamed up with Vivian Host (Star Eyes), Math Head and Zack Shadetek to fill a void in the New York City music scene. “At that time, genres like bassline, dubstep, and grime weren’t really being played in New York, especially not at the same party,” Vivian says of the musical climate of the time. Luca adds, “we started as a party in basement warehouse spots in Brooklyn and eventually progressed into a band of DJs and a label.” In 2007, Patrick Rood (The Captain) was brought on board after the departure of Math Head and Zack Shadetek, and about a year later, Aaron Clevenger (AC Slater) clicked with the crew at a gig in Brooklyn, rounding out the foursome.
Luca’s vision was “to bring the energy, the fun, and dancing back into New York nightlife.” Mission accomplished. Nearly four years later, Trouble & Bass has thrown dozens of parties that have featured massive DJs and producers from around the globe, but events are just the tip of the iceberg. Trouble & Bass also consists of a record label, has a publishing deal in the works, and an upcoming clothing line that will be produced exclusively through Mishka. Put more formally by Patrick, who counts ‘label manager’ among his many roles in the crew, “Trouble & Bass is a multi faceted company that specializes in the advancement of music through the artillery of heavy bass.”
And there you have it. Trouble & Bass has several exciting projects lined up for the summer – Supra 1 recently released their first single, “Still Believe”, and next week, 77 Klash will release his long-awaited EP, Shadow of Death, produced by Drop the Lime and AC Slater. Drop the Lime’s new single, Sex Sax, is set for a June 22 release, along with a music video produced and directed by The Captain. AC Slater’s Calm Down Trilogy EP is coming out in August, and features a double pack Serato vinyl designed by Dust La Rock (Fool’s Gold).
After the jump, read our interview with the Trouble & Bass crew, CLICK HERE for a collection of our Trouble & Bass photo galleries from the past year, and for your listening pleasure, we’ve included the Trouble & Bass crew’s collective Smashcast below (subscribe/download HERE).
Smashcast 006: Trouble & Bass Crew
Don’t miss the Trouble & Bass crew tomorrow night as they take over Canal Rubber at Santos Party House with Calvertron, Rico Tubbs, Class Actress, Dominique Unique Young and JDH (Fixed). Advance tickets HERE.
Trouble & Bass‘ first outing of the year proved to be a resounding success. Testing the waters with a new venue, The Studio at Webster Hall was a more fitting backdrop for the grimy bass that we’ve come to expect from the Trouble & Bass Crew, who kicked things off with a tag-team set. The Captain, Star Eyes, and AC Slater began on a lighter note, with some Jeff Mills-inspired electro-pop; it wasn’t until later that The Captain moved into dubstep after dropping a remix of Sisqo’s “Thong Song”. Other highlights included remixes of “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” by SOS Band and “Sound of Kuduro” by Buraka Som Sistema (featuring M.I.A.).
As they took the stage close to 1 AM, Ninjasonik frontman Telli Gramz appropriately declared, “we’re here to bring a little trouble to go along with this bass”. While there was considerably less crowd surfing this time around, Ninjasonik managed to keep the energy high with songs like “Somebody Gonna Get Pregnant”, and remixes of Major Lazer’s “Hold the Line” and “Pon de Floor”. They closed with their remix of “Daylight” by Matt and Kim.
Like the tropical song that he opened with, Uproot Andy blew in like a fresh breeze. His set was effortlessly diverse, moving seamlessly between reggae, soca, calypso, dubstep, hip-hop, electro and house with tracks like ”Sabali” by Amadou & Mariam and “Took the Night” by Chelley. 77Klash got on the mic to hype the crowd for a few songs, including a reggae edition of Aaliyah’s “Hot Like Fire”.
Click here to view photos of the night by Oliver Correa. No Escape From New York will return to the Studio at Webster Hall on February 10 with special guest Sinden… stay tuned for details.
And if you missed the action last week, catch Uproot Andy and Geko Jones this Thursday at Santos Party House for their monthly Que Bajo?! party. For more information and to see our recommended upcoming events, click here to check out our revamped events page.
Planning your Halloween can be quite daunting – with so many great events to choose from, where do you begin? Fear not, The HiFi Cartel is here to help you narrow down your options. We’ve already told you about Above & Beyond at Roseland Ballroom, Danny Tenaglia at Pacha and Paco Osuna at Love. Here are some of the other happenings you might want to check out:
We’ll be at the FIXED Halloween Bash at Santos Party House, where German DJ sensation Boys Noize will be gracing the speakers with his signature funky electro. Fixed’s own JDH and Dave P will also be spinning. Boys Noize recently dropped a BBC Essential Mix, which you can check out here to gear up for this weekend’s festivities.
Fool’s Gold and Trouble & Bass are teaming up for what is sure to an epic night at Europa in Brooklyn. Kingdom, XXXChange and Nick Catchdubs from Fool’s Gold will face off against the Trouble & Bass Crew, Supra 1 and 77 Klash. Make sure you RSVP for reduced admission at the door.
After passport issues forced The Very Best to cancel their CMJ appearances, they will surely redeem themselves with a live performance at the Gods and Heroes Party presented by FlavorPill and MeanRed. The party will be held at a secret Brooklyn location. Tickets are well worth the $35 price tag, considering they include an open bar all night. 100% of the proceeds will go to Charity: Water to help bring clean drinking water to a school in Ethiopia.
The Park is also hosting quite the soiree, with a line-up that’s too long to list in its entirety. Headlined by Paul Sevigny, the event will also feature music by The Chainsmokers and B-Roc. Get advance tickets here, and be sure to arrive early to capitalize on the open bar from 9:00 – 10:30 PM.
Finally, Girls & Boys residents Gavin Royce and Stephen Pandolfi (a.k.a. Kids with Snakes) will spin at Dokebi’s Fourth Annual Halloween Party in Brooklyn, which promises to be “an excellent dark and sweaty dance experience”. If you love music but are short on cash, this is a great option since there’s no cover. As an added bonus, they’ll be serving Tacos to help you keep your energy going all night long. In preparation for the revelry, be sure to check out the Futureshock Mix Tape that Gavin Royce and Stephen Pandolfi did for Nicky Digital.
Halloween can be pretty hectic, so we highly recommend that you get advance tickets where available. And if you’re looking to get the party started early, Webster Hall has you covered, with a DJ Set by Justice on Thursday (with Jackson and Disko Dali) and live performances by Simian Mobile Disco and Phenomenal Handclap Band on Friday.
Rest up – it’s going to be a long weekend.
Check out the fliers for the events after the jump…
Last Saturday, the Trouble and Bass crew got down and dirty for their epic three-year anniversary celebration at Le Poisson Rouge. The night was off to a great start, with Drop the Lime, AC Slater, Star Eyes and The Captain alternating on the decks for the ultimate tag team set. The party heated up when 77Klash (whom we last saw with Major Lazer in June) jumped on the mic for a live performance, which included a version of Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor” and a few songs from his upcoming EP, which will be released on T&B’s label.
The club was packed to capacity by the time Skream and Benga came on at 1:30. They kept their energy-packed set decidedly old-school, opting for CDJs and vinyl instead of a laptop. Highlights included Skream’s version of “In For The Kill” by La Roux and his official remix of Chromeo’s “Night by Night”. Ever the rock stars, Skream and Benga capped off the night by jumping into the audience for some crowd surfing.
Click here to check out Oliver Correa’s photos from the night. If you missed out on the party on Saturday, fret not – you can get your fill of dubstep when Caspa takes over Le Poisson Rouge this Wednesday.
