I spent a couple of years haunting this nightclub just inside of the DC city limits. It was the places I saw The Prodigy, Astrix & plenty of other stupendous artists. Crippled by the RAVE Act, the previous super club (I’m talking 5 floors open on big nights) was still alive by the time I got there, with massive events & 2-3 concurrent areas of sound at even the smallest event. This was one of the great ones folks, and it was bulldozed to create the parking lot for The Nationals (baseball team) parking lot. Recently this set of pictures of Nation popped up on my feeds, so I wanted to take the time to share a little bit of my own history. This place was undeniably a pillar of the MD/DC/Mid-Atlantic dance music & rave community for years. Lots of places come & go, but a couple are special. Nation was special. To me anyway. Check out the whole set and show Travis Payne some love, as his Flickr stream is actually pretty legit.
Monthly Archives: May 2015
Vinyl + Small Woodland Creatures = Hump Day Repellent.
It’s Wednesday morning, things are fuzzy & low energy. Chill on these tiny woodland creatures that are kicking it on vinyl. Via Imgur.
Midnight Music: Etherwood – Souvenirs (ft. Zara Kershaw) [Liquid Drum & Bass]
Etherwood getting Annie Mac Exclusive shows you how far he’s come. Not only is he one of the best in the world in liquid, but his composition & piano work continues to soar as he takes Europe by storm. This track has a little bit of a Rudimental vibe to it, but considering how much I love the two of them, I certainly ain’t complaining. This is definitely the bread & butter of the liquid drum & bass world. Fast but soft, potent, yet, seemingly light, Etherwood executes perfectly as always Zara Kershaw comes in to add soul to the mix to great effect. It’s definitely a must listen while you’re at the gym, grinding through work, driving, or even just jamming out in your underwear. Med School & Etherwood deliver as always.
The Songs Of Protest Return.
Prince performed in Baltimore this weekend and wrote a song for the protest & #BlackLivesMatter movement that has been growing over the last 6 months. While we’ve seen EDM remain largely a-political, hip hop artists have taken up the call to speak truth to power through their rhymes. In addition to Prince’s track, I wanted to highlight some of the other artists that have touched on the issues of brutality & freedom in the last couple of months. One of the first to be released on YouTube was this one, posted in December of 2014 by The Peace Poets. This is a more traditional peace/protest song than the other songs on this list, in the same vein as many of the Vietnam anti-war protest songs done by Pete Seeger (pictured above). Alicia Keys released a track in early December as well. One of the first top tier artists to mention this publicly, she was definitely wading into heated ground. Her soulful “We Gotta Pray” is accompanied by stunning images & history lessons about the struggle for equality that many have faced in America.
Fly by Raury ft. Malik Shakur came out about 3 months ago but it’s stayed with me. This combination of spoken word, indie, and hip hop elements hopes, even triumphs against the backdrop of the horrors that many cities have seen over the years. I’m particularly struck by the emotional weight at the end. The spoken word message about his son is something every American should hear:
I hope he never becomes a hashtag
I hope to never see him on the back of a t-shirt.
I hope no man in uniform assumes he’s reaching for something in his pocket.
I hope he knows it’s ok to love.
Peter $un has been making waves in VA and clearly, with sample & flow like this, you can tell why. This guy needs an audience with Chance The Rapper immediately. He talks about fears in the same way Malik Shakur does, especially bringing in his concern for his daughters & nieces. It’s not just men who feel like they’re threatened, many women have been the victim of violence at the hands of authorities. Peter $un gets some help from Matt Burton, in the form of some stupendous beats. They’re low, lazy but original, bubbling up to back Peter while he oozes lyrical cleverness & fear for his community.
Not sure what else needs to be said about The Blacker The Berry. Kendrick Lamar‘s anthem (one of many) has a perfect way of pulling things out of you that you didn’t know you had inside of you. His embrace of his identity & his challenge against the establishment is clear, if not terrifying for those who can’t identify with his words. While there have been many songs that speak of peace, Kendrick Lamar’s track evoked pain & deep frustration with the status quo, even as an insanely successful artist.
I’m rounding out with a totally new track off of DVS’ new mixtape that really swings for the fences on this. This is a hard feel matched with some of the most profoundly effective flow this side of the planet. DVS discusses the rage that you see on the faces of so many of our downtrodden and exploited. He brings up the specific/crucial point if treating children like criminals while they’re still in school, which then translates to the way they’re treated by law enforcement. DVS legit drops a line or two from Howl (yes, the one by Ginsberg), just in case you didn’t realize just how advanced his skills are. This may not have been created specifically to respond to the deaths of Garner, Gray or Brown, but DVS speaks of the issues in ways many other rappers seem to have forgotten.
Show all these folks love, they deserve it. Hug your loved ones, help your community & help us build a better tomorrow.
Midnight Music: Cartoon – Made Me Feel (ft. Kristel Aaslaid) [Liquid Drum & Bass]
To celebrate getting through Monday, here’s some of that boom bap tish that will put a smile on your face. Kristel Aaslaid lays down some sultry and funky vocals over some uptempo liquid which does work. The music video for this is my favorite genre of YouTube video” Humans being Awesome on planet Earth.” The stunt videos, juxtaposed with crazy good HD drone footage from around the world makes for a thrill ride that’s almost softened by the music. The footage, done by Team Blacksheep, deserves as much kudos as the track. The artist hails from Tallinn, so remind me to get out to some parties in Eastern Europe. The tune is out May 18th, but you can listen to the whole track here. I am probably just going to keep posting the hotness Liquicity drops, because it’s all stupendous. Just FYI. Put this track on as you’re powering down tonight. Monday is over, the hard part has passed.
New Hotness: Treetops ft. The ScumFrog, Mat.Joe, PONY & More!
(While my Attend feature is still your best place for the events you just can’t miss, I wanted to take a moment to showcase people starting something new. Starting a new party or dropping a new concept on Gotham is always difficult. So, a new column focused on the events taking their first steps. Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you, the New Hotness.)
Treetops is good for NYC. In a wholesome, quenching kind of way. The kind of relaxed vibe that these producers are going for is exact opposite of the mega-plumage that litters NYC scene. Run by two savvy luminaries, they’re bringing some whimsy & relaxed appreciation to the dance music scene here in NYC. To that end, they’re bringing a pile of talent, and telling you to wear your comfy shoes. Comfy everything in fact, as it’s about enjoying yourself with cool people & not popping bottlez while Instagramming your clubbe, bro. The Scumfrog has earned a reputation for excellence in the NYC House music community. I think I’ve seen him at 4, maybe 5 different venues? Each time it’s dope. This guy is a master at work, and I’ve listened to sets of his in Brooklyn, Baltimore, and flying over Bratislava. His April mix is a fantastic example of the smooth perfection of The Scumfrog. The dirtybird BBQ is a legend in its own right, and we were blessed to have one last summer. Christian Martin‘s posse showed up properly and the tech house, techno, dirty bass & minimal, almost acid vibe kicked off like you’d expect for a day party in Brooklyn with this level of talent. Listen to that set if you need a little more persuasion. You know the tech house, deep house & techno is serious when there’s talent in from Berlin. They’re bringing Mat.Joe out from Deutcheland to add their soulful stylings to the roster. I’m a big fan of the sound Mat.Joe works in, a fusion of techno & hip hop essentially. There’s a lot of hit or miss work involving progressive & future bass melding with hip hop. This stuff definitely hits the mark. There’s a nice groove to the dance floor that I can’t wait to see when these two take control. PONY, what more can I say about the man. The Caliph of Crushing It is making this thing happen so I have a feeling his set is going to be quite interesting. If you’re a fan of his sets at I Feel or Evolve Thursdays @ Macao, definitely show up and compare. I bet he’ll save a couple of musical inside jokes just for you. I am really digging this progressive tech house & hip hop vibe that Treetops is bringing to Brooklyn and showcasing Duane Harriott is a great choice. Dirty Decibels provides additional deep house related support, with some catchy, butt-shaking that still manages to stay surprisingly synthy at times. Bryan Cosgrove‘s grooves were a touch tough to find, but I found an eclectic set from a couple of years ago that I’m throwing in for free because I love you people.
With visuals by Levitation Theory and a Paper Box location, I think this event has all ticked all the right boxes. #Treetops has wings & you’re gonna want in on the ground floor. Get tickets here and show up on Facebook here. This is going to be a good night, and you’ll see me on the dance floor. Maybe I’ll see you.
Midnight Music: The Chainsmokers – Let You Go (Thero Remix) [Tropical]
While good Tropical is getting few & far between, I am really digging this remix by Thero. The Chainsmokers have had the Midas touch for a while now. No matter how much you pretend to dislike Selfie, they’re everywhere, and definitely deserve it. Thero takes their latest hotness and re-envisions it as an airy, future chill track that I like more each time I listen to it. There’s a whole lot of reverb put to good use here, making the track a bit harder than most tropical tunes. This is a huge step in the right direction for a genre that seemed to be spinning its wheels a bit. The heavier throb & beat structure give the track some oomph that gives it more versatility & range. I hope he’s entering it into The Chainsmokers remix contest on Beatport, cause this kind of dope shit just might win.
Nitrous Oxide: 215 Years, From Humphry Davy To Hippie Crack.
Nitrous oxide, also referred to as Laughing Gas has a particularly interesting history, being one of the only drugs beside cannabis & alcohol that people still use in similar forms/dosages to centuries ago. It’s on the WHO Model List of Essential medicines because of its use in surgery & dentistry, it’s what the NoS tanks in Fast & the Furious cars use for that video game style speed boosts & it’s been used recreationally by half a million people in the UK alone. Nitrous has been shown to be relatively harmless from a neurotoxicity perspective. The issue with most users developing hypoxia is related to their using “whippets” instead of medical grade Nitrous. While medical grade Nitrous has oxygen mixed into it, chargers do not. Hence the potential for harm if you’re getting the stuff you can get at Zabars instead of having it be administered by someone with medical or dental training. But here’s the crazy part, it started out just as a party drug for the British upper class & academia.
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Midnight Music: Shawn Wasabi – Marble Soda [Mashup]
153 sounds, songs & samples were used to construct this, which blows my mind. You can hear all of it among the stupendous technical competence of the track. This live mashup is in the vein of Madeon, Araab Muzik & the others who drop insanity on midi controllers. This kid got his hands on the first 64-bit midi fighter and made this with it, Marble Soda.
DVTV Arrives & We’re All Better For It. [Album Of The Week]
DVTV is a triumph, I’m writing a note here, huge success. DVS, one of the few authentic, real people I graduated HS with, and this isn’t even his final form. VICE, Complex, Stereogum & plenty of other spots have given DVS love, and I’ve gotta jump on the big love fest because this is legit. It’s got talent, execution, production, excellent guest spots & collabs, the whole 9 yards, the whole enchilada, the full monte and other outdated phrases the kids don’t use anymore. This album is one of the few I’ve actually listened to more than once in 2015, and I’m pretty confident I’ll be bumping this until I’m long in the tooth. While it’s all incredible, and yes, you should both listen to it and give DVS many dollars, here are my favorites off the album. Money Train gets a million points for using Subway announcements as refrains. DVS has the tightest flow you’ve heard in a minute and Money Train is just a warm up. Anyone that can use the closing door sound & take the piss out of the more gangsta end of local hip hop without breaking a sweat, gets respect. Do It To Death is a stupendous solo work that reminds me that DVS is everything Rehab could never be, in addition to being better solo than most crews I’ve been stuck watching in bars across the city. The tight production & continually inventive flow do not disappoint. This will get replayed over and over. Rhymes + the Darkwing Duck theme needs to get leaked to someone at Buzzfeed with the quickness so this can get blasted in their offices over and over until they make a video about how ridiculous it is. Just What Happens is a high water mark for the Album & for DVS. Just What Happens needs to be on your Kendrick Lamar playlist. It needs to be on your Wu playlist. It needs to be on your playlists, is what I’m saying. More real than you’re probably aware of, and there’s a pile of references I know I’m missing. The crucial, vintage & excellent sample ensured this is an instant classic. The words are amazing, but 2min in to the end is lyrical mad genius that needs as wide of an audience as possible. DVTV lives up to expectations as a single, and almost a victory lap for DVS. I’m at the combination loosey spot & crack hotel is damn near close to perfection for anyone who grew up in the city before & during the Giulianification of the city.
The other singles on this album have already been covered by VICE & plenty of other blogs way more important than mine, so I wanted to mention some of the new pieces and ones I’ve not…already yelled at you about. The whole thing is on a playlist below, so jam on that as needed, but definitely buy this album. Also, tell your friends.
Terry Gotham 