Sunday proved to be the day of rest, with 3:00 in the afternoon declared the official wake up call. Thankfully, Seattle was still serving Biscuits & Gravy which functioned as a much needed Morphine Drip. Heavily sedated and in horizontal format, an afternoon of explaining American football to the Canuck and watching "They Live" and "Rumble in the Bronx" on Netflix were the day's sole accomplishments.
Sunday's weather was shitty at best. It was October after all and the rain had presumably returned to stay for another 9 months. With members of our crew bowing out early, it was unclear how many others would do the same on this rainy Sunday night.
Unwavering in their support, Onset regulars and Decibel attendees alike filled out The Baltic Room to see what dBridge had in store to close out the week's festivities. To quote Fabio, "Drum & Bass is unique in that Drum & Bass people will go anywhere, in any kind of weather, they love their much so much."
Kid Hops probably appeared on the most bills throughout festival and spun a wide variety of beats. One can think of a number of monthlies across the United States who could easily afford to diversify their bonds by booking dude. Catch his radio programs twice weekly on award-winning KEXP 90.3fm Seattle. www.kexp.org
Dbridge's selections included many different sub-genres of Drum & Bass, but for the most part were heavily based around the Autonomic sound. These styles were a great way to wind down the festival, providing enough energy to keep everyone going, yet chilled out and soothing all at the same time. The deep atmospheres paired with techy hi-hats complimented the Blade Runner type conditions outside.
This is the offical transportation of Bass Music in Seattle. Also the best interior in the game. Much Respect to Adam for being a true pillar of the scene. Always on the grind and holding it down each & every.
Five days had come and gone all too soon. Extra thanks goes out to all the friends new and old for letting us crash on your couch, steal your cameras, eat your food, and drink your booze; couldn't have done it without you. Can't stress enough how smoothly everything ran over the course of the week. Truly a festival with talent and organization of the highest caliber. Much respect and a big Thank You to Decibel and all the collaborating promoters for continually raising the bar. Can't wait to see next year's line up.
Washington is home to a plethora of well known companies, many of which are headquartered in downtown Seattle. With it's recent relocation of offices to Fremont, nestled between Adobe, Google, and Getty Images sits Mervin Manufacturing. What goods does Mervin Manufacturing produce? Snowboards mostly, widely acknowledged by many as the best in the industry. With Saturday morning's Bloody Marys meeting their demise, it was called to attention that just down the street they had a keg.... and even better a mini ramp.
Decibel in the Park always seems to cement itself as one of the highlights of the festival. This year it's location was back on Capital Hill in Volunteer park after a one year jaunt directly under the space needle. While last year's location provided excellent views and awesome spectating, there is something to be said for the free for all and escape from the city that is Volunteer Park. This was the first year in our attendance that the weather was not absolutely perfect, but hardly anyone seemed to notice.
We arrived to the sounds of Danny Corn, who got the ball rolling for the rest of the Frite Nite crew. Unfortunately at this time it was apparent that the previous three all nighters had taken their toll on the camera batteries. Salva, Comma, and Eprom continued to lay waste for the remainder of the afternoon. Truly awesome to hear those beats in broad daylight outside of a club setting, with children and dogs running amuck.
By this point in the day much of the crew had pretty much drank themselves sober. Not necessarily a bad thing as it provided a lacking purpose to the pre-game and with that, an opportunity to literally recharge the batteries before the penultimate night's shenanigans. The plan of attack for the evening was to begin at the Showbox, hit up The Crocodile, and formulate the after-party on the fly.
The Showbox has played host to many legendary performances. Founded in 1939, it's arguably the premiere music venue in the city for live music. It boasts a healthy sized dance floor surrounded by tiered sections with bars flanked on both sides. Spacious enough to accommodate plenty while still retaining an intimate feel.
Plain and simple, Jaguar Skills put it down. Easily one of the top sets witnessed over the festival. At this point in the night most in attendance [one of dB's few All Ages showcases] probably had a curfew and one could venture to say that this was likely their first rodeo. Most people would complain about this aspect, but personally found that the young'ins contributed a great deal of energy to what would have otherwise been a dull room at 9:30 at night. Couldn't think of a more suitable DJ to school them on all forms of Bass music than Jaguar Skills. Quick with the mix, no genre was left untouched. With a heavy emphasis on jump up Drum & Bass and all the rinsed out dubstep anthems cut up and dropped in a fashion that you've never heard before. Did it matter that the kids didn't believe that Benga & Coki's "Night" was infact a dubstep tune? No. They didn't know any better and presumably had never even heard Drum & Bass music before that night. What mattered was them being exposed to a whole new range of sounds that will hopefully expand their horizons. Jaguar Skills put on a proper clinic for those both young and old.
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BF: Can you give our readers a quick recap on the story of Jaguar Skills?
JS: I'm a dude from the Uk who plays a lot of bad-ass electronic music in a mask. I have a mix every week on the national radio station in the UK, BBC Radio One. I jump up and down a lot when I DJ.
Tools of the Trade?
I use two 1210 Technic decks and a laptop running Serato.
Favourite Festival?
Bestival in the UK. That shit is crazy dope!
Favourite meal on your North American tour so far?
I've been trying to go to all the spots that the dude from Man Vs Food has been too. I had this massive double-dipped french sandwich in LA which was amazing!
Favourite & Least favourite thing about North America?
I did notice that San Fran had a whole load of crack-heads walking around. It's a bit like a zombie movie sometimes in the US…..
Favourite release of 2011?
My Son - Maximus. He popped out at the start of the year!
Outside influences/inspirations?
My Dad. He was a Dj in the UK. He taught me everything.
Most underrated Selector?
Jazzie B from Soul II Soul. I'm not too sure if he's 'underrated' - but he's definitely an influence and someone I utterly respect as a DJ.
Estimated amount of records in the collection?
Oh shit, like, 100,000 - maybe more….
If you had to pic only one D&B label to draw from what would it be?
Ram Records. Andy C is a hero of mine.
Working Time Machine: What era are you going to?
I've always wanted to go into the future maybe 5 years - and get all the amazing records - then go back to 2011 and play them first. Or even remake them and get the credit! Ha! Yeah, take me 5 years into the future, leave me there for a few days, then take me back. I'll be a Back To The Future type thing on this music game.
One thing a ninja can't live without when assembling some of your massive mixes?
My computer!
Much respect for doing what you do, thanks for taking the time!
Many many thanks….I'd love to talk more, but I have a party to rock!!!! HoooooOOOOO!!!!
Notable Jaguar Skills Mixes that should occupy every hard drive:
Keeping to the original game plan, it was time to bounce after Jaguar Skills and trek it north a few blocks in hopes of catching the end of Ital Tek's set at The Crocodile. To say the place was packed would be an understatement. Bartenders handled this well though, as little time was spent waiting for the reasonably priced drinks.
Ital Tek's set was packed full of, for a lack of a better term, just crazy dope beats. Don't really know how else to describe them other than it's probably what the standard hip-hop beat will sound like 20 years down the road if we're lucky.
Machinedrum followed suit and certainly kept it live, as billed on the flyer. At this point the venue had reached the certified sauna phase, and perhaps not ideal for the claustrophobic. Bottles were the preferred beverage vessel for these conditions, as many a drink hit the floor in the twerkd out madness. Slippery, but a godsend for those pretending to footwork.
Kraddy had closing duties on the night. Having witnessed Kraddy on the buttons numerous times before, this would be the first with a live drummer in tow. Glad to see Kraddy still keeping the Kareem Abdul-Jabbaresque sky hook alive, a staple in every Kraddy set.
Friday morning started off slow, hungover on bass, and with a mind still trying to process the audio/visual spectacle from the night before. No complaints. The sun, although hesitant to shine at first, decided on an unexpected appearance to usher in the weekend. With little on the agenda, it was time to scout out Seattle's finest wares and touch base with old friends.
Most of the day was spent in Fremont, home to the best bassface (shown above) in Seattle. An obligatory stop by Paseo's for a Cuban Roast sandwich was high on the Seattle checklist and quite honestly had been occupying a great deal of my thought process since last year's Decibel. Happy to report that it met expectations. Word to the wise: Opt for the Cuban Midnight Press and call your order in ahead of time.
In terms of catching up with old friends, a Canadian was imported for the remainder of the weekend. Having spent the past months in the U.K. and abroad, our buddy Tom was easily persuaded to keep with the travel itch and hop a Greyhound down from Vancouver, B.C. The supposed 3-hour trek turned into a 6-hour haul, most likely do to square wheels. We bumped into Tom years ago on the streets of Vancouver where he ended up leading us to a real solid D&B rave and have kept in contact since.
A gallery near the Greyhound station was currently showcasing an Ansel Adams exhibit. Those in the crew who, for whatever reason, were not quite familiar with the photographer were told to look at the price tag to gauge his importance. The Adams prints were going for $200,000.00...
With Friday night's showcases soon closing in, it was time to get the ducks in line for the night ahead. Canadians love Budweiser. All of them. Although their varietal is brewed at closer to 6% ABV, surely Tom was pleased to see that 24 packs don't run you $56 in the States and can be purchased at any gas station. Unfortunately the purveying of the American Lager seemed to encroach on the night's activities as 10PM can be considered a late start at Decibel.
Nuemos was the destination of choice for the evening for Resident Advisor's Blurring the Lines Showcase. The lineup consisted of Martyn, Martin Buttrich, Max Cooper, Egyptrixx, and Cyanwave featuring Night Train. This was probably the most appropriately named showcase of the festival, as musical selections toed the lines between minimal techno, deep dubstep, tech-house and obscure Brainfeeder sounds. This party was about disregarding the barriers defined by genres, as Martyn's dynamic set to cap the night off proved.
Thursday greeted everyone with clear skies on the day of the U.S. debut of the Amon Tobin ISAM audio/visual spectacle. Knowing well ahead of time that minimal energy would be dedicated attempting to document the actual spectacle on the night of, an attempt to weasel into the venue for some shots of the inital set up was on the days agenda. This attempt was a failure. An ISAM crew member made it clear that no cat would be let out of the bag at this stage in the game during our brief chat outside the venue.
At this point in the afternoon, just about everyone familiar with the Pacific Northwest's climate knew this was most likely the last day of Summer. The rest of the day was to be spent outside navigating the tourist traps, scarfing street food, and observing throwies and architecture.
The night had finally arrived. Personally, this was the most anticipated act of the festival. This was the Super Bowl crossbred with the X-Games for artists and nerds alike. Upon arrival it was clear that this showcase had a draw that extended far beyond just the Decibel Festival goers. Lines for beverages were lengthy; a problem solved with a simple walk up a flight of stairs to the second floor where you were treated to an empty bar with a generous pour. The Paramount's architecture itself was equally mesmerizing as the trailers for the ISAM show and reminiscent of something that would be featured on an Amon Tobin record sleeve.
TOKiMONSTA opened the night, really wish she went second. Her avatar alone is like star wars, voltron, lord of the rings, star trek, twilight zone, all rolled into one. The above summary is all that really needs to be said. It should also be noted that the ISAM crew were no slouches when it came to sound, as the Pure Filth system proved weighty. If for some reason you slept on this past round of tour dates, you're in luck. You can catch the show again this New Years Eve in San Francisco.
The only conflict of the night was the fact that the Night Slugs showcase was stacked against the Amon Tobin experience. With the Paramount show letting out around 12:30, this gave attendees adequate time to hoof it an estimated 500 ft to the east in order to catch the remainder of Night Slugs. Pass holders were pulled out of line and given immediate entry. Details at this point in the evening grew hazy but distinctively remember Girl Unit, Kingdom, and Bok Bok going tune for tune to close the night out.
September in Seattle wouldn't be the same without Decibel; now in it's eighth incarnation and firmly situated as the premiere electronic music and arts festival in the Pacific Northwest. Over the four years that we've covered the festival, it's expansion and evolution from year to year has been nothing short of impressive. Perhaps most notable was this year's inclusion of the historic Paramount Theater, which would appropriately play host to the US debut of Amon Tobin's ISAM live show.
Decibel kicked off on Wednesday and ran thru Sunday. After a quick trip up north to swoop a friend's Nikon on top of various other supplies, the only task left to do was pick up the festival passes for the week. The W Hotel served as Decibel HQ for the weeklong festivities. Situated in the heart of downtown, one would recommend staying there based on location alone. Guests unfamiliar to the Festival were in for a treat as DJ's occupied the front lobby providing a warm welcome for the week to come.
Parking. Overlooked by ungrateful passengers everywhere, it's always the first order of business. Easiest Solution? Park it for the week in the hills just north of the Space Needle. This leaves you with little to no parking restrictions, homes full of people who would be attentive to a car alarm, a 15 minute walk/5 minute skate to town and no stress for the week. Easy to access, yet just far enough out to use as an excuse to not drive to DB in the Park on Saturday. In the end, you're left with more cab fare and a great lack of responsibility.
Opening night at Decibel presented the festival-goer with options at four different venues well within walking distance, as well as another showcase a quick cab ride away. It could be played a number of different ways, but starting the festival off getting loose at the Drum & Bass showcase was an easy choice. The line up on the night consisted of Sonic MC hosting for the likes of Grym, Demo, Kid Hops, Total Science, and Hive.
The commute from the Drum & Bass showcase at The Baltic Room to Re-bar where Zomby was to perform was literally stumbling distance: approximately 3 minutes total and completely downhill. Early arrival was in mind as memories of last year's Decibel lines were still remanent. Despite numerous people milling about outside, entry was instant for pass holders which was a recurring theme throughout the weekend. Out to Decibel for smoothing out that aspect this year.
This was the scene upon entry into Re-bar. Having done no research before hand, it was to be assumed that the musician at hand was likely a relative of someone in Kraftwerk. Dressed to the nines, armed with an MPC, and a wealth of visuals; his stage presence was interesting to say the least. Initially perplexed by the fact that Araabmuzik (who performed at a different showcase Wednesday night) was not on the same the bill as Zomby, it soon became apparent that ATOM's varietal IDM was indeed a great precursor.
Despite his reputation, Zomby showed. He cleared up questions regarding this matter in his recent interview with the WIRE publication and his appearance at Decibel marked the case closed.
Selections varied and included Hardcore & Jungle, Wiley’s 'Eskimo', originals such as 'Aquafre5h', a Dipset or Max B Anthem, and perhaps even a dubstep tune in there as well. Flawlessly mixed? Far from. Spliffs of peng ablaze? Nonstop. Zomby's a producer with expensive taste. If production alone covered this, it's hard to imagine the need for his seemingly uncomfortable appearances as a DJ. Seeing no need to be fixated on the DJ, time was better spent admiring the selection of retro-futuristic meets vintage porn of visuals that Decibel had sorted for the occasion. Much like the track selection, these too were on point.
This year's annual Decibel Festival marked the seventh year that producers, DJs, visual artists, and electronic music enthusiasts from around the globe have descended upon the city of Seattle for a week of musical performances, conferences, and even the occasional Boat party and outdoor bass rave.
dB 2010 saw an expansion on last year's festivities with an additional full day of programming on Wednesday, as well as the addition of a second afternoon of dB in the Park which had traditionally only been held on Sunday afternoon. The often heralded Optical A/V showcases also found a new home in legendary Seattle venues The Triple Door and Benaroya Hall.
Fresh off the plane and with a quick bite to eat in mind, we made the inevitable trek to Seattle staple Dick's for some much needed sustenance. All jokes aside, Dick's is one of Seattle's oldest and most respected burger joints, as referenced in Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Posse on Broadway". As fellow patrons conquered Deluxe's, milkshakes, and fresh-cut French fries; one hell of a gut-bomb later we ventured up Capitol Hill to Pravda Studios to pick up tickets for the weekend and made some brief introductions as the Decibel staff was well underway with preparations for the week to come. As Lusine shook his head with disapproval at my abomination of a passport (which has since officially been retired, a proper eulogy forthcoming...) we headed over to one of downtown Seattle's premiere loitering destinations, the REI flagship store. With a 65-foot indoor climbing wall, fake waterfalls, and enough outdoor gear for the entire state of Washington at our disposal, the primary purpose of this destination was to capitalize on the free parking in their multi-level parking garage while waiting to check in to our hotel.
After getting settled in back at the hotel, we decided to hit up Happy Hour at Club Contour before venturing over to the Ghostly International Label Showcase at Neumo's. Contour's HH is one of the few places you'll find two entrees and and a Pint for under 10$ anywhere, let alone right in the heart of Downtown Seattle. You also have to appreciate any establishment in which Happy Hour is actually a five-hour long affair. As the night's festivities fast approached, we made our way up Pike St. to Neumo's to make sure we caught the opening set of the night from Mux Mool.
Walking inside an almost packed to the brim Neumo's at little past 9pm, it was hard to not take a step back and appreciate the growth of this festival since we first attended back in 2008. The Ghostly Showcase in 2008 had then taken place at the much smaller Baltic Room with sets from Tycho, Lusine, Deru, and The Sight Below. Fast forward to 2010 where droves of ticket and pass-holders alike crammed into a sold-out Neumo's to hear the sounds of Gold Panda and Pantha du Prince, in from the UK and Germany respectively, with stateside producers Lusine and Mux Mool also rounding out the bill.
The night kicked off with a live set from Brooklyn-based producer Mux Mool. 2010 saw the release of his debut full-length 'Skulltaste' on Ghostly; an eclectic compilation of beats ranging across the entire electronic music spectrum. His live performance played to his expansive pallette, progressively winning the dancefloor over with one track after the next, even getting the head-nodding beat junkies to move their feet by the end of his set.
Next up was the Seattle debut of Gold Panda, also fresh off the release of his own recent LP 'Lucky Shiner' on the Ghostly label earlier in the month. After an ambient intro, he began cracking away at his Akai MPC with effect-laden hypnotic beats and delivered a set that could be appreciated by the instrospective chin-stroking massive as well as eager fans ready to let off some steam on the dancefloor.
A Decibel Festival staple, producer Jeff McIlwain aka Lusine was next at the helm and had the whole of Neumo's getting down in synchronicity during his spellbinding performance. His set pulsed with dark techno and house flavors, with driving sub-basslines causing the dancefloor to break out into a frenzy. Still able to showcase his vast knowledge of sound design and atmospheric nuances, Lusine played a stellar set targeted at getting Neumo's moving.
Pantha du Prince took the stage at around half-past midnight and started his set off with a patient construction and layering of ambient textures and soundscapes before the first hints of drums and percussion began to work their way into the mix. As the set picked up steam and the driving beats reverberated through the masses at Neumo's, we decided to up the BPM ante and head over to the Baltic Room to catch the tail end of the inaugural dB Drum & Bass Showcase.
With long-running Seattle weekly DNB Tuesdays and crews like Onset and Kaos Theory still holding it down for the DnB diehards in the Emerald city, it was well deserved that the genre and it's community get a proper showcase at Decibel. When we arrived, London's Klute was already heavy in the mix and obliterating it on the decks to the tenacious and rabid massive brukking out inside the Baltic Room. www.seattleDnB.com
After being featured as the #2 Sandwich in America according to TLC's "Best Food Ever", we knew that we needed to start Thursday off with the Cuban Roast Pork sandwich at Caribbean eatery Paseo. Now we here at Bassfaced take sandwiches with the utmost seriousness and this beauty was easily one of the Top 5 sandwich induced sensations of my entire life. To get the full effect, make sure you order it to stay and keep your eyes open for the highly sought after open table, which can be hard to come by.
After the ensuing food coma and taking some time to fully wrap our minds around the subtleties of the fresh cilantro, jalapenos, and aioli spread, we hoofed it to Neumo's which now featured dual projection screens as well as an LED backdrop directed by Audiopixel, to catch the Flying Lotus & Friends Showcase.
We arrived to the sounds of LA beatsmith and Brainfeeder alum Samiyam appropriately donning a Seahawks fitted, cranking out woozy beats over the PA. Just off a recent tour stint to Australia and NZ, he powered through the jetlag with a set of broken beat and bleary eyed hip-hop rhythms, incorporating the occasional MOP and Rich Boy verses and a Big Band sample flip for good measure. Perhaps the unsung hero of the set was Cupcake Royale for coming through with the mid-set power nosh to energize him through to the end of his set.
Next up was Milwaukee-based producer Lorn who threw together one of the more impressive performances from the weekend. Lorn took a darker and more direct path to the hearts of the Decibel faithful, with punishing and unrelenting low-end while still keeping the hip-hop influence alive with some Mobb Deep. The visuals provided by Killingfrenzy & Audiopixel were a welcome enhancement to the dark, foundation rattling subs and next level percussion.
Eskmo then brought the intensity down a few notches, but didn't slack on the low frequencies. With his self-titled, full-length LP out on Ninja Tune later this Fall, he performed some of that newer material, including the LP's first single 'Cloudlight' lending his own live vocals on a number of tunes throughout his set.
Flying Lotus was next up and had unexpectedly brought along with him Cosmogramma session bassist Thundercat, as well as drummer Ronald Bruner Jr. to play alongside his live set. FlyLo's jazz background and upbringing was unmistakeable as he did his best to conduct the Bruner brothers through some renditions of his original compositions as well as some unexpected covers and improvisation along the way. After hearing about his highly touted Infinity band's performance in LA earlier the year, it was a welcome surprise that seemed to captivate the entire Neumo's audience. Highlights from the set included a live cover of DJ Roc's 'One Blood' forthcoming on his Planet Mu LP 'Da Crack Capone' as well as a rendition of Bone Thugs & Harmony 'Ecstacy'. The vocals of Weezy and Thom Yorke also found their way into the energetic and mesmerizing performance that set itself apart as one of the most notable moments from the festival.
Friday night featured some of the toughest programming conflicts of this year's Decibel. The PlanetMu Showcase featuring Starkey, Ikonika, and FaltyDL at the Baltic Room while RBMA on The Floor at Neumo's boasted live sets from Shlohmo, Teebs, Addison Groove, Mount Kimbie, and Modeselektor.
We first stopped by the Baltic Room to catch the tail end of FaltyDL's set, bringing some of that NYGarage flavor all the way out to the Pacific Northwest. It was then off to Neumo's to catch a rare Addison Groove live set, complete with analog Roland 808 Drum Machine. After seeing Headhunter throw down an impressive DJ set at DubWar a few months back, it was a treat to see him playing out his recent Addison Groove productions in a live setting, with percolating and booty-dropping 808 patterns being triggered at a moment's notice.
After Headhunter, it was time for the highly anticipated Seattle debut of Mount Kimbie. With their debut LP 'Crooks & Lovers' gaining acclaim throughout the electronic music community and must-have mixes done for XLR8R & Resident Advisor earlier this year, the crowd eagerly awaited the duo's performance. While sound issues were few and far between during our romp through dB, this set seemed to be a nightmare for the sound crew at Neumo's. With only an hour-long time slot, the beginning of the set was marred with technical difficulties which had many in the crowd already foaming at the mouth for Modeselektor. While the duo managed to push through a seemingly insurmountable amount of obstacles and gain some cohesion by the end of their slot, the set would have perhaps been more appropriate for one of the early evening A/V Optical showcases rather than sandwiched in between the more club friendly sounds of Addison & Modeselektor.
From the moment Modeselektor hit the stage, backed by the incredible visuals from Pfadfinderei, you knew this was going to be a world class performance. As the crowd struggled to find room on the floor to throw the occasional elbow or skank, the zany Germans refused to let up, creating absolute pandamonium on the floor of Neumo's.
Waking up to a beautiful sunny day in Seattle on Saturday meant heading to dB in the Park ASAP to soak up some Vitamin D and rays while they lasted. This year saw a change of venues for dB in the Park, previously held at Volunteer Park and now moved directly under the Space Needle at the Mural Amphitheater. As tourists walked past the punishing JV2 Soundsystem, some stopping by to take the occasional peak at the beat-heads, hippies, burners, and Seattle-ites alike all enjoying the earth-shaking bassweight, we headed inside and linked up with BC-based DJ Mat the Alien before his set.
If you've ever been to Shambhala in BC, you know Mat. He's the one leaving jaws scraped on the floor in the Village every year, pushing that PK soundsystem to it's limit and showcasing some of the most incredible, exta-terrestrial feats of turntablism you've ever seen. After missing this year's Sham due to the birth of his son Elliot, we were happy to see his name show up on the bill for this year's Decibel.
If you have an intense passion for Turntablism and bass music, this man should undoubtedly be one of your favorite DJs.
Up next was San Francisco's NastyNasty playing a live Ableton set, as we took some time in the Beer Garden to take in a pint, appreciate the view and some serious tunes.
Despite not having a slot to showcase his visual show, which debuts this November, Nosaj proved to be captivating enough in his own right. Bluetech's live dub band Satori Social Club appropriately wrapped up a beautiful day in the park as the sun began to set and another night at Decibel loomed. Much thanks to Bass Drop and Decibel for a great afternoon of music.
Saturday night we headed over to the Baltic Room to catch the Hotflush Label Showcase where it became immediately clear we weren't the only ones with this plan....
We arrived during Untold's set to the unmistakeable vocals of Flowdan and the sounds of Autechre's remix of The Bug's 'Skeng', now available on the Ninja Tunes XX boxset. Leave it to Autechre to somehow make a more grim, sparse, and haunting reinterpretation of Kevin Martin's music. The week's festivities also seemed to have already taken their collective toll on the subwoofers down at the Baltic Room. As we heard some Redlight entering the mix, we took a bit of a breather from the ramjammed club, but the BQE-esque traffic backup for re-entry meant sacrificing sets from Scuba and Sepalcure to hear some music over at Neumo's where Carl Craig was already championing his headlining set at the D25 Showcase.
After a quick trek through the tailgating massive outside of Qwest Field on Sunday afternoon we came to grips with the fact that neither a half sleeve of stamps nor will a Modeselektor ticket stub grant you entry to a Seattle Seahawks football game. We wrapped up our stay in Seattle at dB in the Park where Mary Anne Hobbs was already busy blaring some proper Shieffield bassline, winin' up the crowd to Kase & Shinobi- 'Ya Dirty Girl'. Mala 'Eyez', Joker & Ginz 'Purple City', and a picture perfect blend of 'Tron' with 'PClart' by Kavsrave were among the set's highlights. As she dropped 'Sweet Shop' to cap off her set, running down into the crowd to skank out one last time with the supportive crowd, Plastician stepped up to the decks to do his thing sporting a military grade laptop and a fresh Mishka Cyco Symon T.
Now nearing the end of his massive US tour, Plastician threw together a marathon two-hour set that had the feel of Seattle's own personal Rinse.fm show, albeit without the consistently entertaining host MC Nomad. Playing out a selection of crowd-pleasing top Dubstep hits of the Summer from Magnetic Man & Benga, 'Stician also didn't shy away from dipping into some murky Grime selections with tunes from Rude Kid, P-Money, and DDoubleE.
Serious gratitude to Erica Toele from Decibel Festival for the press hookup and everyone involved for all the hard work they put in to make this event possible each and every year. For additional dB coverage, be sure to check out iamalaser who did a great job capturing the Ghostly, FlyLo, and RBMA showcases.
Would also like to take the time to big up the people we met along the way: Mat the Alien, Graintable, Ill Cosby, Evan, Amy, Incyde, NastyNasty...be easy everyone!!!
Ghostly Int'l Showcase photos credited to Megan Dapper
