Outlook Festival 2012 | Fort Punta Christo, Croatia
The minds behind Croatia’s Outlook gathering have self-confidently dubbed their brainchild to be “Europe’s leading bass music and sound system culture festival.” Now this may read as just another self-serving and over-zealous sale’s pitch, but I am happy to inform you that most every bit of zeal in this statement is justified. In fact, through a breif calculation of logic, this proclamation may prove even modest;
If Outlook is indeed the leading bass music and sound-system culture fetsival in Europe, which, from my experience, appears to be quite true, and if Europe is the world’s leading continent in that same category, which, again, I can attest to, then Outlook festival may in fact be the leading bass music and sound system culture festival in the world.
Now, this is a bold statement, so let me begin to tell you why I think so:
First off, the event takes place in, on, and around, an abandoned fortress, which, by my degree of knowledge of 18th Century Mediterranean Architecture, is essentially a castle, and not only is a castle one of the most exciting and appropriate settings that I’ve had the opportunity to indulge in a variety of deep sounds and styles, but acoustically speaking, its almost as if those determined Croates of yesteryear built it expressly for the ideal presentation of contemporary bass music.
Speaking of which, the music was thrilling, utterly so, and I know that I stand risk of sounding like a jittering fan-boy, but today that’s something I may very well be.
So, who was good? Jackmaster , playing his typically eclectic mix of dance music – from Usher to Joy O ; Scuba , proving he that he was worth his steep price-tag; Sepalcure , Plastician , XXXY , Eliphino , Disclosure , and, of course, Skream with Sgt. Pokes , were all a bonafied pleasure to catch. Also making it into this congratulatory category is Kode9 , Loefah , Oneman , Black Acre newcomer, Alby Daniels , Silkie , and Ben UFO ; A tip of the hat to all of them.
Some favorites heard from this category:
Now, who was fantastic?
[Addison Groove]
If I had a crown to give, it’d have to go to Addison Groove . He threw down the most exciting set of the weekend; at the end, mixing from his trade-mark grit-house jams, to a combination of Hudmo ‘s “CBat” and Earl Sweatshirt ‘s “Drop,” and finally into a booty shaking version of The Chordette’s barbershop classic, “ Mr. Sandman ,” of which I have yet to track down. A round of applause is more than in order for Mr. Groove. If he’s coming to a club near you, do not miss out, just go.
Dark Sky rounded off the Black Acre party on Saturday night, and even from outside the fort, one could tell it was the place to be, with a line-up extending easily over 50 meters out the gate. The beats from their Black Rainbows EP sounded ripe and juicy on the Courtyard system.
[Boddika]
The Swamp 81 party was yet another stand-out, with Boddika standing as the personal highlight of the exhibtion, though only just ahead of his more than worthy label mates, Oneman and imprint-boss, Loefah . And since we’re on the topic of dubstep, big ups to Joker for up-staging the DMZ showcase in a big way. Sorry, Mala and Coki , we still love you.
Friday Night at Mungo’s Arena was a breath of fresh for anyone feeling a bit claustrophobic from the prominence of D&B at Outlook. Girl Unit was the highlight of this party. His work on the Club Rez Ep dazzled between the stone walls of the military fort.
Some respect is to be given to trap stalwarts, Baauer and Hudmo , because their numbers, “Harlem Shake,” and “ CBat ,” were springing up dj’s sets of every genre. Same goes to Julio Bashmore for his summer anthem’s of 2011 and 2012; “ Battle For Middle You ,” and “ Au Seve ,” respectively.
So, we’ve run through the good and the grand, but was it a perfect experience? No, of course not. All things are flawed, even the most wonderful.
The major bone I have to pick is with the audience, who whilst being, for the most part, avid fans of these genres, neglected some of the bare necessities of festival etiquette. Muscling belligerently to the front of the bar line was a common activity. Now that I think of it, muscling any where at any time without an excuse me or a patient moment’s wait was standard practice at Outlook. Friends assured me that this was simply the English way of doing things, but I don’t take that as a valid excuse. Thumbs down. Love thy neighbour next time, boys.
The second pickable bone is not necessarily the fault of anyone in particular. It was the simple fact that Mala, Coki, Loefah, and Disclosure, were far from being loud enough at the Harbour stage on Saturday night. The open ocean is no natural amphitheatre. Fortunately, this is where Dimensions Festival comes in.
Opening tonight, Dimensions festival promises an equal if not more impressive line-up of underground artists, an audience of presumably more committed listeners, and lastly, exclusive use of the Fort stages, which means, better sound and smaller venues for bigger artists. Let’s hope it lives up to these other-worldly expectations.
Outlook , thank you. It was a blessing to be a part of. Considering the legend of setting and sound that your team has etched into bass-music’s youthful history, the title of world’s leading bass music and sound system culture festival is yours to loose. Now, to see what your little brother is packing…
See you next year,
sam.i.am
Low-Life Does Tomorrowland | Boom, Belgium 2012
I know what your thinking; “what is Low-Life doing at a place noted for their unparallelled line-up of “the world’s biggest EDM artists,” (shudder); at what Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike (don’t ask) so eloquently predicted to be “one hell of a crazy weekend;” a place where names like Avicii and David Guetta are spoken with either a religious solemnity or with the volume and duration of one of those travel-sized air horns? Why, Low-Life? Why?”
[case in point...]
Why not? It may be all of those things, but it is also one the world’s largest dance music events, seeing more than 180,000 bodies over the course of the weekend, and besides the main-streamlined artists mentioned above, Tomorrowland is also host to a slew of artists whose names have graced this very URL amidst words of appraisal; Jamie Jones , Clockwork , The Others , Martyn , Jackmaster , Locked Groove , Ben Klock , Terence Fixmer , Green Velvet , Fake Blood , Surkin , Eats Everything , Dubfire , Hatcha , Emalkay , Plastician , and Sgt. Pokes , specifically. Between this, the purported millions of dollars flooded in to the aesthetic experience, and, lastly, the rumour that TL is something of an annual congregation of the most beautiful girls in Europe, why not, I ask you; why the hell not?
So we did.
You know when you’re faced with prospect of eating a bag of Doritos and your like, “nah, I’m not into that,” but you go for it anyway because “what the hell, everyone else is eating them,” and they’re fantastic, and cheesy, and you go for a few more, and your enjoying it even though your constantly making snide remarks about people who eat Doritos on the regular just to divert any possible notion that you do, in fact, love Doritos?… So there you are with the empty bag tilted over your palm to get those last few crumbs and you lick that radiating orange off your pinky finger and, just for a moment or two, you cringe because you know you liked it. Yeah, Tomorrowland was kind of like that bag of Doritos.
For instance, imagine 60,000 people belligerently spouting that incessant “Levels” melody (“da-da-dah-dah-duh-duh du-du-du-du-duh-duh-duh-dah-dah”) while a giant bookcase is breathing fire and tribes of goat-men are doing back flips through waterfalls. Now, this is a spectacle that is hard not to, at the very least, be impressed by. And yes, if you’re putting two and two together, I did see Avicii, and it wasn’t completely insufferable. Well, beer helped.
But aside from the musical lollipop that was the main stage, there was a number of truly phenomenal and accordingly innovative, albeit under-attended performances over the course of the weekend:
Jamie Jones ‘ very funky set was laced with nuances of new-wave, which was surprising to most but received with joviality nonetheless.
Carl Cox earned his title of legend, not that he needed to in any respect, as he hit the 1′s and 2′s with care into the wee-hours of his 50th birthday.
Eats Everything played Prodigy ‘s “Smack Your Bitch Up” under a giant mushroom. Enough said.
The whole experience was truly a dance-music feast. With 16 stages and over 400 Dj’s booked over the weekend, there was a style for every taste. If you don’t like David Guetta, which, if you’re reading this, I can assume that you do not, then you didn’t have to have anything to do with him because on the other side of the Tomorrowland playground, Martyn was mixing a subtle exhibition of We Play House Recordings ‘ releases along with his own; two very different worlds co-existing in one fantasy. This label, in fact, has an appropriate and thoughtful contemplation on this subject of taste:
“There is no such thing as tech house, there is no such thing as deep house, there is simply house music, good or bad. And even that depends on the ear of the beholder.”
[via WPH ]
It just so happened, though, that the majority of the ‘beholder[s]‘ at Tomorrowland preferred the music of Swedish House Mafia . But that’s okay, because I like the occasional bag of Doritos too.
sam.i.am
10 Days Off 2012 | Ghent, Belgium
Ever heard of Ghent? I didn’t think so. Well, if you haven’t, don’t beat yourself up too much because not once have I heard that perfectly plain North American yammer during my time spent here, despite the town bearing Lonely Planet’s number 7 spot on its 10 Places to Visit Before You Die list.
But enough about the town. Its lovely. Trust me. Canals, churches, cobblestone, jolly drunks, pretty people, and prettier personalities; its all here. What else is here, though, is an incredibly unique concert series showcasing an acute selection of electronic music’s foremost purveyors. That’s the real reason I’m here. Found down a winding alley and along side a murky jade strip of river is the Vooruit Art Centre ‘s 10 Days Off festival.
“In 1995, 10 Days Off started as 10 Days Of Techno. Today, almost every electronic music genre can be seen and heard at the festival. 10 Days Off has become a landmark in the international electronic music scene. The festival welcomes artists, clubbers, music lovers and media from all over the world.
The festival has its own character and style, built on its pioneering decisive choice for programming electronic music.”
[via 10 Days Off ]
[Day 1 - Salva]
Each night sports a variation of style; from house, to bass, hip-hop, disco and so on and so forth. They keep it fresh, to say the least.
[Day 9 - The Magician]
Featured this year; Salva , Holy Other , Lapalux , Africa Hitech , Kutmah , Teebs , Addison Groove , Booka Shade , John Talabot , The Magician , as well as many more. Lucky for you, the majority of these sets can be heard in their entirety, below. Personally, Mr. Talabot’s performance really tickled my fancy.
[Day 7 - Africa Hitech]
[Day 8 - Booka Shade]
Now you can’t say that you’ve never heard of Ghent, Belgium.
sam.i.am
SONAR 2012 | Recap
[From 'La Distancia']
This weekend past, Barcelona was the capital of the world. Or, at the very least, it seemed as such, because between the buzz from artists and fans alike; the resulting heat, apprehension, joy and euphoria; the all around sense of a welcomed cutting-edge, it was hard to assume it as anything else. It was Sonar 2012 .
Personal highlights are numerous:
Flying Lotus bouncing to Flosstradamous ‘s ‘Original Don Remix,’ alongside a super-sayaned Thundercat before making an impossibly smooth segue from a dubstep take on Wacka Flocka ‘s ‘Hard In Tha Paint’ to an utterly delicate jazz outro.
Jacques Greene voguing on Doc Daneeka ‘s dancefloor.
Darkside .
Brenmar uncharacteristically dropping an instrumental version of Joker ‘s ‘In My Head,’ inspiring Paul Salva to remark to his surrounding entourage (which included half of Nguzunguzu and Julio Bashmore ‘s manager, amongst others) “Man, 2 years ago we were all bitching about dubstep. Now we all miss it!”
Julio Bashmore playing out his infectious ‘Au Seve’ at 8′am, Sunday morning; a track that rightfully earned the title ‘Sonar 2012 Anthem.’
The list goes on…
[Flying Lotus]
[Amon Tobin]
[Azari & III]
[Nicolas Jaar]
[Jesse Boykins III]
[Salva]
[Squarepusher]
See you next year, Barcelona.
sam.i.am
SONAR | Barcelona 2012
[ the official image of Sonar; a still from Sergio Caballero's forthcoming film, 'La Distanca' ]
The city is buzzing. Club-rats, artists, and industry folk of every rank have flocked here to witness what is widely considered to be one of, if not the most influential three days in the world of electronica, internationally. We’ll see about that, as low-life will be on site, reporting the tides and triumphs of this so anticipated celebration of the multi-media arts.
“
Sónar once again makes Barcelona the world capital
of electronic culture: the festival presents more than 150 proposals in its programme, including music, exhibitions, screenings and activities for professionals based around the technology applied to artistic creation. The music line-up includes essential classics, experimentalists with a unique profile and an extensive representation of the new forms of house, contemporary electronic pop and the multiple derivations of bass music
.”
(via Sonar )
This year promises a typically astounding line up that includes performances from Flying Lotus , Jacques Greene , James Blake , Modeselektor , Hot Chip , The Roots , Sinjin Hawke , Nguzunguzu , Salva , Jack Beats , Maya Jane Coles , Azari & III , Kode 9 , Julio Bashmore , Blawan , Simian Mobile Disco , Nicholas Jaar and Darkside … to only name a few.
Be sure to grab the 4 track Sonar 2012 Sampler , courtesy of Bleep.com, before it’s taken down midnight tonight.
[Four Tet @ Sonar 2011]
[Magnetic Man @ Sonar 2011]
[Aphex Twin @ Sonar 2011]
[Sonar 2011]
sam.i.am
MUTEK | Montreal 2012
MUTEK is just around the corner (the official festivities begin tonight) and it’s safe to say that anticipation is running high, here in Montreal. If you’re not already familiar, MUTEK is an international festival organization, founded in the year 2000. It’s centrepiece: the presentation of its annual namesake festival, held in Montreal, which thoughtfully showcases the strength and value of both electronic music and the digital arts. This year is MUTEK ‘s 13th instalment.
“Over 70 acts will converge on Montreal from May 30th to June 3rd, among them respected pioneers, hotly tipped emerging artists, adventurous sonic manipulators, and a significant number of Canadian artists who represent the wealth of digital creativity currently at work in this country.”
(via
MUTEK
)
The 13th edition, as it has done in the past, will provide a platform for some of the most forward thinking minds in digital creativity to demonstrate their talents. This year’s spectators have the opportunity to catch some of our unabashed favourite names: Nicolas Jaar , Shlohmo , Salva , Kode 9 , Valentin Stip , Prison Garde , and so many more, as well as a number of experimental art installations that we’re looking forward to exploring (take the CineChamber for example).
“MUTEK is an immersive journey, with many levels at which to explore the artistic contours of its many creative scenes.”
Whether you manage to be in attendance or not, we’ve put together a little offering of just some of the sounds attendees will be exploring during the next few days. The tracks included are from either the recent or far-gone past. Check back for some exclusive updates in the near future.
We hope to see you there-
Download || MUTEK 2012 Promo Pack [zip]
Tracklist:
And I Say (ft. Scout LaRue & Will Epstein) – Nicolas Jaar
Hot Boxing the Cockpit – Shlohmo
Wake Ups – Salva
Babylon – Kode 9
Goodbye (Instrumental) – Apparat
High For This (Sibian & Faun Bootleg) – The Weeknd
Sea of Pulses – Tim Hecker
Arose – BNJMN
Anytime Will Do – Valentin Stip
Parking Lot – Prison Garde
Whit Dub – Alex Smoke
Best Of (Deniz’s Freestyle Version) – Deniz Kurtel ft. Mykle Anthony
Beat 26 – Jimmy Edgar
International Fires – Shackleton
T.P.Ø. (Rumpistol Remix) – Acustic
[Anstam, MUTEK 2011]
[Modselektor, MUTEK 2011]
[Four Tet, MUTEK 2011]
alh
Nouveau Palais | Avant Gang EP
[brought to you by the RBMA]
The Red Bull Music Academy brings you the collaborative effort of Lunice , Ango , and Prison Garde , as well as that of an onslaught of contributors; Sinjin Hawke , Monolithium , HxbD & Self Evident , Bobbi Kay , and RBMA alumni, Canblaster and Salva , in anticipation of their Mutek showcase this Thursday night. You’ll be happy to know that the healthy 14 track extended play is also free of charge. There’s no stopping these guys. (The Canblaster / Sinjin and Salva additions are particularly fantastic, if I do say so myself.)
[Ango, Prison Garde, Lunice]
sam.i.am
Gang Colours | Mary Anne Hobbs XFM Guest Mix
Gang Colours , (a.k.a. Will Ozanne), has won over many listeners with his recent LP release The Keychain Collection on Gilles Peterson ‘s Brownswood Recordings .
Recently, Ozanne made a guest appearance on the Mary Anne Hobbs show:
Wolfey
Africa Hitech | 11.24.11
Late last night at the Drake Underground in Toronto, Africa Hitech changed the world. The vibe was set by My Man Henri and the stage was seamlessly traded off to the Warp Records duo who initially kept it cool with some classic dub and African beats.
The clip drops you in at the moment of transition, right as their set takes off into the realm of the unexpected. You will be pleased by the stunning vocal work of Steve Spacek while Mark Pritchard gracefully refines the amplified sound of spinning wax. Praised as “casually killing it” by the Colorado Daily, they have each been producing for 20-odd years and are now touring to celebrate their newest release 93 Million Miles . Sit back and enjoy.
Here are some tracks from last night’s setlist:
My Trance Girl – Joker [recommended]
Better Than (Lorn Remix) – Jammer [recommended]
TV
JonWayne x Low-Life | Toronto Chapter
[Artwork by Jeff Jay Tripper ]
Low-Life brings you Jonwayne , live and uncut, to Canada’s metropolis. North America’s east coast has been blessed with his presence for the last month or so and we knew that there was no way he was going to just pass Canada by without paying us a visit.
With much deliberation and zero pre-planning we jumped at the opportunity to host him and now we are one very successful show deep with another in sight for the extremely near future. After recently killing it in Montreal with my better halves on Thursday, Jonwayne is rumoured to be ‘recouperating’ at LL.MTL.HQ before a quick plane ride and an equally as anticipated show here in Toronto. His recent album release, The Death of Andrew , attributes to this lengthy jaunt around the country; that being said his tour is quickly coming to a close so don’t miss this opportunity if you are in the Toronto vicinity.
This coming Wednesday night at the Rainbow Palace, Jonwayne will be out to play. There are no excuses, this week’s payday is the perfect reason to celebrate and the energy is going to be out of this world. Jonwayne’s set will be preceded by one of Bassmynt , a Toronto local and legend originally from Nelson, BC, who we met earlier this year.
Jump to Bassmynt article from February
The bill will also feature local artist Silvermayne , a late addition yet an integral member of Toronto’s beat scene. I only recently met Andre but his presence alone is telling of the talent you are soon to witness. If there is a set in Toronto worth attending, Andre will be there.
Event specifics can be found here:
Presale $10 tickets can be acquired from Rotate This, Soundscapes and any of the listed sellers on Facebook. There will also be tickets available at the door for $15.
Low-Life thanks YOU for your unconditional love and support and we look forward to seeing you out this Wednesday for some quality low-living.
Yours,
The Haggard Pigeon
Shambhala 2011 | Episode 4 of 4: Sunday
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- photo by T
We’ve been longing for something. It’s been a couple of months now, and we’ve witnessed the leaves turn hot and felt the air turn cold. So let us go back in time this sharp October evening and reminisce about a place of warm bodies and minds.
This episode has been waiting for the opportunity to lift your spirits.
Do you remember Shambhala ?
Glitchy & Scratchy , the combined moniker of producers The Mongoose & Bevy Swift, are familiar faces to the West Coast bass scene due to there consistently funky live exhibitions. These boys christened our evening with a crunchy style, opening a champagne bottle of bleeps instead bubbles. Be sure to check their schedule because they’ll likely be mixing in a club near you in the not-so-distant future.
Speaker Humpin’ (Glitchy & Scratchy Remix) – Subvert [glitch-hop]
From the North West of England, Mat The Alien , pleasantly surprised an audience that has had the opportunity to see him a number of times. He spun a set that spanned from the expected funky break and the raspy wobble, to the uncharacteristic four-on-the-floor. His venturesome set had the crowd nodding their head in impressed approval, but he sealed the positive reviews of our kind with the drop of Sub-Antix ‘s barely released release Badness , and did it ever go off. This extraterrestrial Dj is fresh off his last musical discharge , so give it a listen, a coin, and wait for him to cross the pond.
64 Bytes (ill.Gates Remix feat Meesha & Mat the Alien) – Eprom [glitch-hop] [break-beat]
What can we say about Subvert ? We can praise him for the wonder of the acoustic world that is The Village and PK Sound. We can weep over his titanic Cranberries edit of 2010. But we can not say that he has been pushing the boundaries of his genre, not at all. So, we respectfully tip our hat. He’s recently co-womped a tune with the ever-womping Datsik , so listen to that and see if you you’re in to it.
Zombie (Subvert Remix) – The Cranberries [dubstep]
One genre that tends to define this festival is break beat, and I don’t believe that any festival on the planet does it better. Kelownian, Stickybuds , is one of the these exceptionally funky artists. This up-beat tendency is seldom seen on low-life, but in context, this style of music is obscenely fun. His tracks are lovely, but I’d recommend the mix. It bobs you up and down like a Weeble. Try not to fall down. Take a look into what he’s been up to as of late on his Facebook page .
Sickybuds Fractal Forest Mix Shambhala 2011 [break-beat] [funk]
In all honesty, we didn’t expect much from Toronto duo, Zeds Dead , but we were once again merrily bemused. After reminding us of just how fantastic their classics are in a live setting, they proceeded to spring intriguing rhythms and bass lines that reminded myself of an almost contemporary UK style, granted far thicker. Word about town tells us that these two have been marketing themselves as individuals, along with their current partnership, so we may very well hear some interesting sounds in the future. Keep an eye glued to their soundcloud so as not to miss their next move.
Coffee Break – Zeds Dead [dubstep]
I must confess, we missed Skrillex ‘s set. We apologize if that offends you. The crowd was too many elbows and the sound was too many punches. It just didn’t feel suiting to the environment of Shambhala but I will mention a couple of Skrillex tunes that have impressed me recently. Both of which are a stretch from his trademark sound. We can’t deny his talent as producer. He is a maverick. We also can’t deny that power of Koan Sound . Don’t fret, there’s more to come from them soon enough. For now, visit skrillex.com so as not to miss his next, industry shattering move.
Lick It – Kaskade & Skrillex [electro]
Kill Everybody (Koan Sound Remix) – Skrillex [dubstep] [recommended]
Australian Youtube sensation, Dub FX , had the entire Village smiling. Perhaps it was his spin on the Jamaican banana tune, or his possy’s feathered ventriloquist gargoyle. The fact that he’s been touring internationally along side his wife, the swaggering Flower Fairy , undoubtedly warms a Shambhala heart. His shtick is impressive, especially in person. Some of those bass tones baffle me as to how they emerged from a human esophagus. Checkout his label’s youtube channel for more stupefying displays of throat.
Dub FX ‘Flow’ feat. Mr. Woodnote from bd films on Vimeo .
Bassnectar fulfilled his unofficial title as the king of Shambhala . He opened with a thick rework of Pharoahe Monch and delivered with a similar effect over the course of his set. It wasn’t particularly stimulating in terms of style, but it was as booming as we had hoped. His hip hop laced bass pleased the ever loving Village audience for the 11th year in a row. He’s been generous recently, so reap the benefits at bassnectar.com
Cozza Frenzy (Bassnectar’s Mega Bass Remix) – Bassnectar [dubstep]
Bass Head (King Fantastic Remix) – Bassnectar [dubstep] [hip-hop] [recommended]
Here We Go – Bassnectar [dubstep] [break-beat]
Stanton Warriors have been developing their break style over the past year. What was once more typical is now more sophisticated by means of toned production and rythmic variation. If you like break-beat, you’ll love their new album, The Warriors . You would have most certainly been contented with their Fractal performance as well.
Dakota – Stanton Warriors [break-beat] [recommended]
New York – Stanton Warriors [glitch-hop]
Flux Pavilion ; yet another artist that slapped the smug look off of our faces. He must have dropped half a dozen new tracks. When I congratulated him on the impressive feat, he casually speculated in his thick and jolly accent, “I figure, ‘What better place than here,’” as he swung back what was surely his umpteenth beer. His set was significantly better than you would imagine, and I’m sure you imagine it being no less than brilliant. His hard work can be attained over at Circus Records .
Midnight Run (Flux Pavilion Remix) – Example [dubstep] [recommended]
Joshua Steele’s partner in crime, Doctor P , also pleased the low-life team, though it was his variation between genres that perked up my Sunday evening ears. Of course, he played out his hallmark wobble, but he interjected between the dubstep anthems with disco tunes and poppy breakdowns, that is, pop by Doctor P standards, which is hardly pop. None the less, it was a cheeky and clever set. His business can also be perused at the Circus Records base .
Tetris – Doctor P [dubstep]
Watch Out – Doctor P [dubstep]
After Doctor P , we stumbled back to camp in the misty dawn and discussed the triumphs of this magical weekend:
- Longwalkshortdock ‘s raucous display of electro and skinny fist pumping.
- Justin Martin ‘s spook house at The Pagoda.
- The wall of lush synths emitted from Mimosa ‘s thrusting pelvis.
- Downlink redeeming and exceeding the standards of Rottun Records .
- The Lighta! Crew ‘s tasteful takeover.
- The eclectic ball pit that was A.skillz’ Fractal Forest jam.
- Kingdom ‘s morning exhibition of the Night Slug sound.
- And, of course, Sunday’s relentless display of quality dubstep.
A tear wells up in my eye as I realize that this is the last time that I’ll be basking in the nostalgia of that fine weekend at the Salmo River Ranch; in all of its wonderment. That is, until next year.
Be sure to buy your 2012 ticket soon, because they’re quickly becoming a scarce commodity.
Do your self a favor and have the time of your life.
With all of our love,
sam.i.am & low-life.ca
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- photo by T
Shambhala 2011 | Episode 2 of 4: Friday
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- photo by T
Night falls on our valley, and so we march in to the forest to indulge in another evening of sonic surprises. This is the second edition of LOW LIFE’s festival documentation. If you missed it, this is your opportunity to catch up. If you were present, let’s hope this jogs your memory.
DC’s Fort Knox Five brought us world class breaks to accompany late afternoon’s long shadows. These guys have been fine tuning their accessible, and, quite simply, fun style for close to a decade. Enjoy the reconfigured classics offered at their homebase , and enjoy the appropriately triumphant tune below.
Revolution (DC’s Finest Remint) – Fort Knox Five vs. The Beatles [beat] [hip-hop]
Edmonton based Knight Riderz opened our evening with an intricately woven presentation of “crunk” bass. Soothing sub grinds were carefully balanced against delicate harmonies; a perfect segue from dusk to darkness. Bassnectar, Mimosa, an The Glitch Mob have been nodding towards their most recent releases, so maybe you should too. Check out these offerings after heading to Beatport .
Teardrop (Knight Riderz Remix) – Massive Attack [glitch-hop]
French electro-inclined Berliner, Siriusmo, pulled the figurative trigger on Pagoda’s ray gun. Reports of fussy requirements regarding set time, accommodation, and not to mention a strict track-for-purchase policy, were bleached from thought with a clean, yet gnawing, four-on-the-floor exhibition. This gentleman is absolutely one of the best in the game. I highly recommend exploring his lengthy library , but for now, settle for this, his only complimentary item.
Night By Night (Siriusmo Remix) – Chromeo [electro]
Shambhala’s knack for booking swaggering break acts was affirmed once again with DJ Nu-Mark, the maestro behind notorious 90′s hip-hop act, Jurassic Five. As expected, he delivered golden-age beats and tasteful era-erat’s. If you aren’t familiar with this dot-com era doctor of rhythm, get educated .”Fresh and clean, nah mean?”
Nah Mean (DJ Nu-Mark Remix) – Nas and Damian Jr Gong Marley [hip-hop] [recommended]
ill.Gates threw us a curve-ball like he was Sandy Koufax, and if your confused by the sports reference, then your on your way to understanding how it felt to hear Lonely Planet’s “I’m On A Boat,” in The Living Room, arguably Shambhala’s most consistently tasteful stage. This respected producer and educator initiated his set with his signature elastic “wah,” gracing conga-banging, jungle-thumping beats that Donkey Kong himself would be proud of. The MC, equipped with a portable voice modulator, lifted the already bouncing crowd to jovial heights. Then, in an almost mocking manner, he lay down a remix of some weeping, youtubian cat-lover. Strange, but not quite strange enough to extinguish my admiration for his considerable talent. See what “ The Phat Conductor ,” is up to after sampling some samples.
Fish Paste (ill.Gates Remix) – Die Antwoord [glitch-hop]
Spread Ego (ft. Mycho Pan Cho Cho) – ill.Gates [glitch-hop] [recommended]
Stumbling from the beach, towards Mimosa’s much-anticipated Village set, we coincidentally stumbled upon Aussie, Nick Thayer’s Fractal Forest clear cut. Having no idea whom was playing, we stayed a commodious amount of time because, for lack of a better term, he got the party started. He juggled genres like they were bowling pins, with pop samples that had every tongue on the floor wagging. He should probably play your next birthday party. Purchase his products if you’re feeling it.
Gonna Getcha VIP – Nick Thayer [electro]
Empire State of Mind (Nick Thayer Remix) – Jay-Z and Alicia Keys [d&b]
If MiMOSA was Poseidon, The Village was his ocean. He had utter control. His sound flowed effortlessly and with force, like a hunting tidal wave. He could torment, stir up dissonance, and proceed to hush the crowd, leaving us suspended, seemingly breathless. Ditching the metaphor, his set was simply dynamic. If you’re curious as to what the future of electronic music is shaping into, keep an eye on this guy . He lives up to the hype.
Days Go By (MiMOSA Remix) – Dirty Vegas [dub] [recommended]
58 Degrees – MiMOSA [dub]
Immediately proceeding was Mr. Troy “Datsik” Beetles, and he most certainly brought his largest of guns. I can’t deny the power of his sound, because it is something to behold, though personally, I expected some growth, perhaps a shy away from the finger-gun “woops,” or some experimentation with some sparser rhythms, but alas, The Village was flattened by his trademark sub-bass swagger. Vancouver dubstep producer, Carnage, called it, “an almost flawless dj set.” Even if you’ve been living under a rock the past year, you’ve most likely the vibrations of this 2010 collaboration to end all collaborations. Take a look at what Datsik is selling if you’re feeling a lack of tremors through your floor boards.
YES – Bassnectar & Datsik [dub]
Just a jaunt from The Village sardine can was a private Justin Martin set at Pagoda! Well, not exactly, but the 30 of us had good time, and by good time, I mean that he was absolutely phenomenal. It was haunting, without being to serious about it; “flawless and thumpin’” reports trusted Nelson associate Hank C. To be clear, this is some very good minimal. If you like what you hear, head over to Dirty Bird records and drop some coin.
Nude (Justin Martin Remix) – Radiohead [house] [recommended]
Yummm!! – Justin Martin and Sammy D [house]
As the sun creeped over the hills, our friends over at Leave Plato’s Cave boogied to the low bounce of Londoner, GIRL UNIT.
“[He] blended the worlds of juke, uk bass, and some fucking jackin’ house like no other.” – Hank C.
Take his word for it, and press the play button on this tasty mix to accompany tonight’s pre-sip, tea-sip, or whatever sipping you plan on engaging in. Then head on over to
Night Slug
and show them just how much you enjoyed it.
Dollars To Pounds Mix for The FADER – GIRL UNIT [post-dub] [house] [recommended]
You’ve made it; endured till the final click of the clave. Until next time my fellow low lives.
Enjoy you’re knowledge.
sam.i.am
March Bass Madness MTL | NiT GriT . Wolfey . Reso . Genetix . Mat The Alien . Bare Noize
This month in Montreal will set the standard for events with low-lighting, low-to-the-floor dancing, and forever populated by your fellow low-lifers. Not only will the crowd be crawling with us low-lifes, but our very own LL commander and chief, WOLFEY, will be providing the soundtrack during the opening slot for NiT GriT. So roll early. Big ups Wolfey.
Club Empire 22:00| Friday, March 4th is the day | $15 is what you pay… unless you get yours before.. the day.
If you’ve been with us for a while you will remember NiT GriT’s original and captivating wobbles. If not type that shit into your itunes search bar or our ‘search the stacks’ feature and be reminded of how much you will give to be at this show.
On that note we turn to Wolfey. Offering local support as a fresh DJ to the montreal scene; he is no stranger to the tables. Be sure to check out his latest Bootleg Mix here , if you haven’t already. The last words I exchanged with him were about the acquisition of vinyl tables and the upcoming Skream show. Yea, I could go on about how he’s a lone wolf, raised by wolves.. better to get it out of the way.. but the fact of the matter is, it’s his fucking name and he will be bringing the numbers that will not stop until long after the morning light. That’s us. Yours truly, the low-life crew.
Event Details can be found here .
Don’t miss out on these two or be as perturbed about your well-being as if you stole a kilo from the mob.
You better get your rest this week because the following night, March 5th, Bouddha Slinky is hosting Reso , Genetix, and Mat the Alien! Location TBA. The madness doesn’t seem to be letting up. This is another one you won’t want to miss.
Event details here .
It truly is Bass Madness out here in MTL with all these heavyweights gracing our lawless city. And on the evening of the ninth day Bare Noize is planning to tear up le Belmont, courtesy of Bouddha Slinky once again. Details can be found here .
I expect to see all of you at each of these shows. Bring your paint, bring your mask, the madness ensues.
Bitches love stitches,
RadarT
