Last Friday, we stopped by Fabric in London where Hospitality Records thoroughly schooled us on the art of drum n bass. S.P.Y., Girl Unit, Synkro, Nu:Tone, Sampha, Stray, Roska, Danny Byrd, Emalkay and Shy FX were just some of the many sets we caught over the course of the night.
This Friday, we’ll be back at Fabric to catch sets by Benga, Scratch Perverts, Tomb Crew, Andy C, Seiji, Hackman and more. Check in with us next week for photos and a recap of both nights.
As the sun rose on day two of Sonar Festival in Barcelona, the masses once again flocked to the downtown location of Sonar by Day, pouring through the gates in even larger masses than the previous day’s festivities. Spirits were once again at peak levels during the afternoon hours, with Europe’s electronic music revelers taking full advantage of the beautiful weather and vibe of the city, the company of fellow partygoers, and of course the stunning array of musical talent from all over the world.
Once again, stand out acts were difficult to determine, as each artist contributed something creative and unique to the boundary-breaking display of electronic music across the three stages. Of particular distinction was the UK’s Hyperdub group King Midas Sound, who presented a brilliantly dreamlike set pairing their bass heavy and reggae influenced rhythmic sound with a backdrop of dramatic and hypnotic lighting in the darkened SonarHall. Also taking advantage of the confined space of SonarHall was Nosaj Thing, who performed his visual show to a thoroughly enthusiastic crowd. Matching a visual display projected against the wall behind him, Nosaj Thing took the audience on an aural and visual journey through his hip-hop inspired beats, dropping favorite tracks like “Coat of Arms” and “Fog” at key moments.
After a long day of music in the sun, we headed to the first installment of Sonar by Night, which takes place Friday and Saturday night in a massive old airplane hanger just outside of Barcelona’s city limits. Three enormous stages hosted a slew of even more enormous talent, with thousands upon thousands of people going absolutely mental for the breathtaking lineup and environment. Noteworthy acts included favorites like veteran French super-duo Air, DFA Record’s LCD Soundsystem whose performance of their beloved old track “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” got the whole room singing, and German house group Booka Shade, who all lived up to their stellar reputations as forerunners in the realm of genre bending electronic music. Indie electronic staple Hot Chip also played a thrilling live set under the open air night sky to the tune of thousands of cheering fans at Sonar by Night’s second biggest stage, SonarPub.
Mary Anne Hobb’s showcase at the SonarLab stage was also a big hit, showcasing some of the finest talent currently on rotation in the overarching realm of dubstep and UK funky. First the BBC Radio DJ herself took the stage, dropping some seriously grimy dubstep tunes and making the massive bassline reverberate through the ground and up into the enthralled audience. Second was a rare appearance by the illustrious Joy Orbison, who’s set was an extraordinary treat for UK funky fans. Flying Lotus took the stage next, spinning a set that focused on samples of some heavy hip-hop beats, and of course his own production, which contrasted effectively with his more house tinged set of the night before, and lead perfectly into the showcases’ closing set from the king of UK funky, Roska.
On the techno and electro side, 2manydjs spun a rambunctiously fun mix of electro tracks both new and old, with a multitude of stellar remixes and visual graphics animating each tracks record sleeves. Techno master Plastikman (otherwise known as Richie Hawtin) and the legendary Claude Von Stroke also each tore the roof off the epic venue. The latter’s closing set at the main stage, SonarClub, provided the ultimate ending to an incredible night, dropping monumental tracks like “Who’s Afraid of Detroit?”, shifting into some wicked drum and bass just when the crowd least expected it, and slowly bringing up the lights on the dancefloor throughout his set to emulate the sunrise outside, effectively preparing the crowd to face the bright day that awaited after the last note ended.
Another No Escape from New York has come and gone, and at the risk of sounding redundant, Trouble & Bass has pulled off yet another fantastic event. The Trouble & Bass crew’s opening set was conspicuously devoid of their usual wobbles, but when Roska took the stage, it all made sense.
One of the leading pioneers of UK Funky, Roska’s sound was of a more mellow breed than what we’ve encountered at No Escape, but he had the crowd in a fervor none the less. His mix included selections by Modeselektor and Crazy Cousins, peppered with his own work. Roska is quick and sly on the switch, but maintains a calm demeanor behind the decks.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tomb Crew stormed the stage for an explosive closing set. The reggae MC’s infectious energy had the crowd going until the wee hours of the morning.
Tomorrow night (Wednesday), Trouble & Bass will celebrate the release of “Take You” by AC Slater at their monthly party, No Escape from New York at the Studio at Webster Hall. RCRDLBL recently posted the Tete-A-Tete remix of the song, which features Ninjasonik (download it HERE). The original track, along with remixes by Drop the Lime, Nadastrom and more, is available on Beatport and iTunes.
AC Slater featuring Ninjasonik – “Take You” (Nadastrom Remix)
Making his first NYC appearance, Roska will join the Trouble & Bass Crew behind the decks, bringing us his trademark bass-driven underground London beats (check out his podcast for XLR8R HERE). Also from London, Tomb Crew will be on hand to unleash a mixed bag of dubstep, grime, fidget, drum n bass and bmore (listen to their No Love Lost Records mix HERE).
CLICK HERE to RSVP for reduced $7 admission. All RSVPs will be automatically entered to win a pair of tickets to the show. In preperation for the madness, be sure to check out Trouble & Bass’s latest Smashcast featuring AC Slater. Listen to it below or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Trouble & Bass Smashcast 008: AC Slater
Full event details after the jump…
