Well, I’ve got my work cut out for me!
That was my sober realization upon leaving Family at the conclusion of DJ Krush’s set. How I am to put into words a performance so unique, inspiring & memorable that to attempt to describe it may ultimately diminish it?
Well actually, that’s not such a bad start! Now to find another 400 or so that will do it equal justice…..
Admittedly I came in late for 2 Dogs, and many people rated their set tonight. The half-hour of hip-hop & turntablism that I heard while undoubtedly proficient, held few surprises; but it would prove a valuable yardstick for just how far off the register what was to come.
A stark shift in frequencies & tempo- both downward- marked Krush’s entrance in the DJ Booth. The next 2 hours were to feature the whole spectrum of syncopated beats- ragga & jungle among the least challenging on display- situated in smudged shades of grey dub that never sounded so good; it took me a while to discover the other colours hidden in the auditory terrain, but my perseverance paid dividends around one rattling number with a remarkably long rhythm signature. And taking in the crowd, which filled the bottom level of Family to capacity despite it being a school night, everyone seemed content to keep their own time throughout the proceedings.
Mention has to be made of the effort to provide visuals tonight that were sorely missing from the DJ Craze gig of the previous week. Between electric inserts of sombre oriental kitschery, the projection onto the front of the booth revealed Krush when not plumbing the depths of his crates, industriously tweaking the mixer- allegedly a discontinued & rare Vestax PMC-20SL 3-Channel device, with individual EQs replaced with a 5-Band Master & on-board effects!- to transform even the oft-heard fare of Mr Oizo into part of the Nipponese Master of Disaster’s opaquely-glittering repertoire.
It seemed the climax formed by the recoiling pianos of DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing opus Building Steam with a Grain of Salt came far too soon, making me regret that this extraordinary sonic pilgrimage would soon draw to a close; making me yearn for an extension of this excursion! Upon reflection, part of me feels that the length was sufficient, counseling that I would likely have tired of this journey should it have continued along the same path; another part of me suggests what other fascinating destinations could have been visited with another 30 minutes or hour to spare? However, both concede there is both merit & talent in satisfying an audience while leaving them wanting just that little bit more….. not an act I would have envied Seany B & Complex in following.
Comparisons have quickly been drawn with the now-mythic Shadow gig of late last year…..
Shouts to Stealth for the photos & Slip for assistance in writing this review!
