Category Archives: What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath: The CityFox Experience Rings In 2015 Like No Other.

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I had been hearing murmurings about The CityFox Experience, an event series from a team based out of NYC &  Zurich, for months now. After stories about their now infamous temporary club concept events over the last year have been murmured across the Gotham Underground, I decided it was time to see what these cats were up to. Boy, was I impressed.

CityFox SunsetThe CityFox Experience seems to be an experiment in generating high quality events in places you wouldn’t expect them. This harkens back to the pop-up party concept of years long past, especially in the era of bottle-service, mega clubs and festivals making the one-off “night of dope shit” almost impossible to come by these days. So, my companion & I decided to take a chance and found ourselves on the water outside of an enormous building with surprisingly ample parking & good traffic management. Just one of the details attended to with finesse.

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I Feel Sin City. A Night Of Taut, Deep & Sexy NSFW House.

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After a month off, my companion & I hugged the door lady, a delightful lightworker & old friend of mine. The bass leaked through the space as we exchanged coats for drinks, taking it all in. I FEEL has come into its own, as my previous notes on them reflect, and it was nice to see the space/community & execution becoming mature so much that it’s commonplace and the people running the show are smiling, enjoying themselves and mingling with their attendees. Everyone knew what they were there for and they were getting it in spades. Sexy, sexy spades.

This was the month where the I FEEL community really cut loose. The theme ensured a dance floor filled with leather, lace, masks, tight pants, tighter corsets & an entire wardrobe of inappropriate clothing. This would’ve made for a delightful event in and of itself, but then the music. Oh my stars, the wonderful music. After consuming our drinks, making the rounds and being only slightly disappointed the X-frame & the St. Andrew’s Cross weren’t getting active use (hey, those parties are out there, don’t judge), we nestled into the dance floor with our people. The musicvibe swirled around as Holosound‘s set crescendo’d. Holosound had been building the energy ever so subtly since we arrived and the dance floor was so excited to see where the night headed. Especially the last half of his set seemed to be one huge song, and 55min in, the serotonin was hard to refuse, as we all lifted with him.

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The Glitch Mob, The M Machine & Chrome Sparks Rocked Hammerstein Ballroom.

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(This is a repost of a review that I did for ElectronicNightLife.com, so head over there and show them some love in thanks for getting me into crazy parties.)Chrome Sparks - Hammerstein Ballroom 2014Saturday night at the Manhattan Center (or Hammerstein Ballroom for all of us oldsters) was one of the best dance music events I’ve attended in almost a decade of partying. The evening started out with a stunning set by Chrome Sparks. While I’ve been a fan of the group for a while, I had no idea what they sounded like live. Their live show was a tremendous fusion of indie feels, signature synths, live percussion & a rocking vibe. The Glitch Mob fans who got there early were treated to a delightful performance that I hope resulted in hundreds of new followers for them. They totally deserve it, and just in case you want to know what they sound like, check out this cat video featuring their track “Marijuana.” When it dropped live, the crowd was massively into it.

The venue was perfect for this show, with the floor filled by the time Chrome Sparks finished up. For a mid-tier venue to be totally filled more than an hour before the headliner starts requires a special talent and that’s what The Glitch Mob was providing. The M Machine took the stage after a couple of minutes of tech and completely blew away the unsuspecting crowd. I’d not heard them live before either, but now they’re a must-attend if I end up at festivals they’re performing at or if they return to NYC.

Their set was a potent argument for their rise to Headliner status.  The crowd was with them every step of the way, as they blended big room, deep house, banging electro and a couple of fun surprises with ease. Even when their system crashed mid-drop, the crowd accepted their apology, with no one moving from the dance floor. They kicked back into their set a minute or two, finishing out strong with some huge bangers that had the crowd “massively stoked” for Glitch Mob. That’s in quotes because I actually heard an attendee say that to his friend as they walked by.

The Glitch Mob - The Blade - Hammerstein Ballroom ElectronicNightLife

This was their first show in NYC since 2012, and Gothamites were hung out to dry when Glitch rolled through on their Love Death earlier this year. If you were at the Terminal 5 show you know how special this group is and the quality of the shows they can put on. The big fans (i.e. Me) went down to the show they did at Electric Factory in Philadelphia to see them, so I had a good idea of what to expect. Or so I thought.

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Their set was, in a word, legendary. This was a completely different set than the one I’d seen only a few months ago, and whoever convinced them to change it up needs to be given the highest of fives. The set started out with an assortment of everyone’s favorite tracks off of Drink The Sea, their debut album. The crowd surged as the Blade launched the percussive onslaught that is The Glitch Mob live. Their massive drums, controllers & synth systems were on full view to the audience, so anyone who wants to have the “press play” argument won’t find any supporters here. Boretta, Ooah & ediT had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands, as their electic fusion of rock, breakbeat, hip hop & bass music flooded the ballroom. Their Derezzed remix from the Tron movie Daft Punk score had the floor rocking out in ways I’ve not seen since I saw Rammstein at that venue in high school.

Pulling tracks from We Can Make The World Stop, the trio started filtering into their more recent work, which, was a potent choice. While the Love Death Immortality tour started with Mind Of A Beast & Our Demons, the new album’s tracks hit the crowd about halfway into the set, pushing the energy higher and higher. Becoming Harmonious & the rest of the Love Death Immortality album were celebrated by the crowd, as they’d been waiting to hear these tracks since the album came out. They even surprised the dance floor with their Tupac remix. Hearing their massive “California” rework live was fantastic, but not the thing I was looking most forward to.

They played their Prodigy – Breathe remix. I’ve been waiting to hear this live since The Prodigy released their  expanded 15th Anniversary edition of Fat of the Land (their seminal late 90’s album). They didn’t play it in Philadelphia, which was my only regret at that show. However, here in NYC, the track killed. The crowd loved every second and the dance floor exploded some more. This & their Seven Nation Army remix showed they knew what the crowd wanted to hear, and boy did they deliver. The mandatory multi-song encore was more of exactly what we wanted and a well deserved victory lap for the trio. They’ve come a long way since their Drink The Sea mixtapes, and I’ve been so happy to see them become the super group we all knew they would be.

This was one for the record books folks, and if you missed it, you have my deepest condolences. This show was dope and I can’t wait to see what the three have up their sleeves next. (Photos by Dylan Smith)

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Matt Lange, Bender & Cameron Kush Make InDeep’s Debut A Night To Remember.

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IMG_4200I really had no idea how it had happened. The night before Above & Beyond’s sold out Group Therapy 100 at MSG, I found myself hanging out with the producers of my favorite new production team, InDeep, in the coat room of an urban queer friendly funky house music party  on the 3rd floor of Slake. We were there celebrating the arrival of InDeep Events to Gotham. After rocking events in LA & Denver, they’ve started making waves here in NYC. While dumb people were nervous about how popular the smooth, meditative vibes that Bender & Matt Lange create, I knew the night was going to be incredible. I love being right.

After making our way downstairs from the dope party happening in the Red Room, we found ourselves floating in the delightful multi-genre set by Cameron Kush, one of the resident warriors here in the NYC local scene. He, Alex English & DJ Dali are the best DJs you never notice on the fliers for shows you go to. They are the ones warming you up, keeping you going, and putting music into your face that you’d never come across. Nothing but love for these Bass Sentinels. Cameron Kush pulled in electro, progressive, jacking house, and fluidly switched into UK bass that smelled strongly of Future Garage to some of the more international listeners. A gorgeous set front to back, I could do nothing but congratulate him when he finished. IMG_4605After turning the decks over to Bender, my crew and I were exceptionally excited. The place had filled out nicely with Slake attendees that had shown up to other parties were slowly migrating over to the mainstage just because it sounded like a dope party. Bender’s set ensured anyone in the room that didn’t think so changed their minds immediately. There was a mastery & comfort behind the decks that I didn’t expect, but was a welcome sight. The effortless & almost hypnotic deep house vibes that he was pushing out started to attract people from the hip hop party happening in the next room, which is always a good sign.

IMG_5094You couldn’t see any drunk bros in the crowd, and I can’t say I’d seen any obnoxious hitting on/asshattery either. The vibe was reverent, especailly as Matt Lange took the stage. The AnjunaBeats Lieutenant gave us hope for the future. I’ve always been a particular fan of Matt Lange’s approach to deep house, as it feels very respectful of the artists & sounds that have come before him. The mix was a soulful journey that included some NYC specific tracks that some of the more seasoned vets in the crowd tipped our hats to. The bar was mobbed, the dance floor was packed, and you could see that even people on the 3rd floor had started to filter down into the space. The slow consumption of other dance floors is a hallmark of the NYC club era, with multiple floors & scenes in a single place. Sometimes however, quality is recognized and people flock. The track below is one of my favorite and the one below that is a mix that shows what the guy is capable of.

A great time was had by all. Amazing effort by InDeep Events on their first East Coast event. Here’s to hoping it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (Photos by Kat Gallagher with permission from InDeep Events)

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I Feel Reminds Me Of A Whole New World.

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I feel the magic carpet 151I’d not been out to an I Feel Party in a couple of months, but there I was, in the middle of a packed dancefloor, significantly earlier in the evening than I thought I would be, dressed in some of my better Middle Eastern finery. Their rotating concept/theme wheel had landed on “Magic Carpet Ride” an amalagam of various Middle Eastern & Arabic motifs. Any concern I had that this was going to be the Arabic equivalent of blonde chicks at Coachella in War Bonnets, was swept away the moment I entered. The music pulled me towards the depths of the floor, in front of their increasingly impressive LED & lighting work. The raw Brooklyn space had been wrought into a moderately decorated floor & hallway, which led to an outdoor hookah lounge/chill space and a massive outdoor area for smoking and hanging around. Continue reading →

Attend: NYC Gratitude & Evolver NYC Present AXIS MUNDI

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(So, the whole “party of the month” thing started feeling a bit restrictive and obstinate, so I’ve decided to start a new segment called “Attend.” This will be a series of previews for events that you should…be at. Starting with one of the finest nights Gotham has to offer.)

It’s that time again! Gratitude is partnering with Evolver to lead an army of burners, builders, movers, shakers, candlestick makers, producers, riggers, bands, builders, VJs, healers & dancers to life for 18hours of classes, dancing, participation & performance. You read that right. Eighteen freaking hours. That’s 3x the party of any club or bar out there. Get with it. All afternoon, there will be classes on yoga, dance, art, environmental action and a bunch of other groovy stuff, hosted by Evolver. And then at 9 PM, there’s this guy and his friends.

So, take that, and add an epic story, with a cast of characters and a whole lot of stuff on fire. One of the things that really separates clubs/EDM from Burner culture is fire. You see explosions at huge festivals, and poi is showing up more and more, BUT no one burns like Burners. This show at 9 PM looks to be pretty bonkers and I’d imagine it’s a perfect reason to get there an hour earlier than you’d planned. Then after that insanity, there’s 3 different areas of sound, each with a retinue of Sonic Ronin that will blow minds.

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Call In Sick, Verboten Grabbed whiteowljaguar, Sabo & REsy On A Wednesday Night.

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Now that I’m old and whiny when it comes to going out, weeknight events are a supreme rarity for me. I’m not the spry youngling I once was, able to knock out 9hrs at the office after dancing all night. However, every once and a while, I make an exception. I may need to finally show up at Verboten and watch some old friends do Brooklyn proud before a New York selectro himself. The global, deep & soulful vibes that Sabo drops are going to hold that dance floor together well into the morning. He knocked it out of the park on playa with Robot Heart I hear, so I’d imagine this will be all of the fun, none of the need for co-signers. If they keep grabbing talent like this, Outre by Evolve and Talon & Claw

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America Fuck Yea Tour: Philadelphia, The Glitch Mob & Bailey

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As the sunset cutting an orange, pink & purple tear in the afternoon sky, I sipped from the excessively large can of Miller Lite I’d purchased at Penn Station while amusing myself on Twitter. I was on the train to Philadelphia to see some old friends and watch some music I couldn’t find anywhere in NYC. Not only was The Glitch Mob in town on Friday, but Bailey was pushing out some dirty drum & bass on Saturday. The weekend looked to be quite epic and by the time I arrived at my friend’s house, homemade chicken wings and cheap beer were waiting for me. I told you my friends take care of me.

The Electric Factory was packed, both floors, and the bandshell still covered. To note, Philly had come strong and was waiting to tear it up. Then, as we took the first sips of our drinks, they came out, the crowd erupted & they got to work. Starting with Mind of a Beast, the debut track off their recently launched album. They played it. Live. To explain, check out these pictures by my amazing friend Michael Gonzalez.

Their set up was an amalgam of pressure sensitive pads that look like they came off the bridge of the Defiant from DS9 or a Cylon raider. There was a heavy set of drums surrounding them all, and boy did those things glow. The trio of Ooah, Boreta & ediT proceeded to bang out one of the best shows I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing in my short life. The raw power & animation stunned while commanding the crowd. This was not a dance party, this was a rock show, and they were the Gods of the hour.

After crashing out, I spent that Saturday eating & drinking my way across the city of Philadelphia, commiserating with friends, old and new. Many hours & many more beverages later, I found myself at Blurr, a tiny bar in deep illadelphia. Imperial Drum & Bass was setting up for another hard night, and Bailey was about to hit the decks. The D&B coming out of Self & Destin over the course of the night was hard and fast, with none of the liquid or smoothed out melodies you hear from Hospital Records. This was dank & dirty drum & bass. The heads there swapped out between hanging by the bar sucking down brews & ducking outside for quick smokes. There was a raw authenticity to the event that you rarely find in NYC these days, and the kids gave no fucks who was dressed in what or how much people were spending at the bar. It was all about dat bass yo.

http://www.imperialphilly.com/imperial-dnb-jungle-events.html

Bailey took the decks and immediately blew everyone away. The d&b was relentless, with cuts and samples jarring the dance floor and knocking people around. It’s fun when you think there’s a mosh pit going on, but it’s really just bass assaulting people who got a little bit too close to the bottoms. I mean, until someone knocked a beer onto Bailey’s laptop. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the party was so intimate, that someone could actually just be drunk and ruin it for everyone. So while he was shaking his Macbook dry, my friends and I beat a hasty retreat back to my friend’s compound for additional good times before crashing out. The bus back to NYC would come soon enough, but as I pulled the covers up as I tried to get comfortable on a couch, I definitely knew that this weekend would herald some excellent adventures. Keep checking in here to see more of my “America, Fuck Yeah!” Tour. Let’s see what trouble I can get into.

(Pictures care of MVK & Access provided by ElectronicNightLife.com

Two All-Lady DJ Parties Coming At You!

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I’m delighted to report I was recently invited to two separate events in the next two weeks that feature an actual all-female line up. I try not to hawk individual parties because I want to provide commentary about the scene generally with minimal selection, but I think this is an exception that I need to make. It’s rare to find events that aren’t just a cavalcade of white guys behind decks, and a night with entirely female DJ line-ups are about as rare as a unicorn that doesn’t have issues. First up is an event going down in Brooklyn featuring Hometown Fire stars REsy & Dopeshoes. This bodes extremely well for the event, as both of these ladies have serious talent and skill. I’ve linked some relevant soundcloud mixes below so, put it into your face. Tickets can be gotten at the door and it’ll be cash only at an undisclosed location in BK. It’s going to be an interesting night and probably going to have some local flair you can’t find anywhere else. Event info is here so check on it.

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What Lies Beneath: New Year’s Eve Starring Infected Mushroom, Savant & Astrix

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(This is my New Year’s Eve review, done for Electronic Night Life. Hit up the original post here & show the blog some love for giving me some sweet access.)
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I’d always assumed Savant would be less of a baller in real life, but it seems I was wrong.While a million people were partying less than half a block away from the theater, inside & down one escalator, we found ourselves ensconced within a bubble filled with ravers, club kids, New Year’s revelers & a heaping serving of psychedelic trance, dubstep & banging electro. They were able to  create a party inside of the pocket dimension next to Times Square, where if I didn’t know better, I would assume it was just a regular night outside, and not be playing second (or third) fiddle to one of the biggest parties of the year.

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By the time we’d negotiated New Year’s checkpoint after checkpoint, my companion & I were granted access to Best Buy Theater to see Infected Mushroom, Astrix & Savant. This massive performance was going to be Infected Mushroom’s first since August & Astrix’s first in years. Savant was doing excellent work when it came to revving up the crowd as he transitioned from Beatport Top 50 tracks to his symphonic but bassy self-produced tunes. The GA was eating it up, so after dealing with the New Year’s-amplified drink prices, we settled in for a long night of amazing beats & psy-focused music just as he was finishing his massive set. The set must have got the attention of hundreds of attendees who are hopefully downloading his new CD, “Orakel,” at a rapid pace in thanks for such an attentive & non-prerecorded experience. DSC_0071

We’d gotten the ok from security to start photographing right as the Fungusamungus stations began powering up. These spheres, the centerpiece of the Fungusamungus tour, were truly a sight to behold. 2 professional-grade projectors bathed the stage in what seemed like millions of colors, mapping complex images, shapes and color gradients to every surface on the spheres. Dudev & Erez were hidden inside, pushing the signature Infected Mushroom sound out into the theater, while the crowd got more and more excited. I’ve definitely seen Infected Mushroom perform without any of these new fangled toys, and it was a sight to behold then. This pushed past anything I’ve seen outside of Amon Tobin’s tour. Incidentally, I was informed at the show that the same group that did Tobin’s insane new set-up, did Fungusamungus. So there’s that. DSC_0369

The set did not disappoint. I’ve seen these guys perform for years, but not since they added their latest round of Friends on Mushrooms compilations, and a show of psychedelic rock-drenched trance was given a delightful topping of massive dubstep, electro and the odd classic that everyone seemingly knew the words to. To hear younglings chant all the words to Cities of the Future brings a tear to this old chestnut’s eye. Becoming Insane, Vicious Delicious & tracks from the later offerings including their track with Savant, kept the crowd moving.

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As they finished, we began to make preparations to get a drink in between the set change, but roadies just came out, dropped decks & laptops down, then the two Israeli champions of psy-trance came out and straight DJ’d for the next half an hour, back-to-back. They hadn’t had enough so they kept doing work with the insane 3d projection work going on behind them. We got comfy and watched them slowly transition into Astrix. Who, not to be taken lightly, exploded out of the gate with some seriously stompy full-on psy-trance.

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The crowd, that was clearly going to be there until the floodlights came on, whipped themselves into an even greater fury than they’d been maintaining previously. The GA spread out, people gave each other room, and the sizable remainder really began to cut loose. Everyone was amazingly happy to be there, to share the night and to get the chance to enjoy some crowd favorites until as late as they’d let us play. Enjoy my favorite track that Dudev & Erez obliterated the dance floor with below:


Great night, great way to ring in 2014, great job Best Buy Theater for handling the event with such finesse. This is Terry Gotham, see you on the dance floor.