I am Krushed – in a good way of course. Stupid puns aside, Saturday night at the Forum was a definitive event. It was my first time seeing Krush, and I went in there with some anticipation, unsure of whether to expect crotch-grabbing rap, or rollicking trippy down-beat ear candy. What actually happened defied expectation.

Krush started his set with some very mellow tracks, easing us into a sense of calm well-being. He lulled us with some tasty chilled-out tunes, with people swaying emphatically on the dance floor. The build-up was gradual and gentle, climaxing to some seriously crazy button pressing and nob twisting. I mean no insult to the great artist, but from where I was standing, his hands were a blur! All I could tell was that they were twitching in time to the beat, and the resulting sound was damn good. When Krush played “What It Is…”, the motions on the floor became more intense; this is a known and beloved track, and the listeners wanted him to know that.

I should mention that the Forum was a more than suitable venue to host the gig, with Krush raised high above the dance floor, seeming to float above and beyond reach, on thin bamboo reed stalks shadowed by red and white, mingling with cute oriental lanterns. When the light shined on him from the back, his silhouette seemed like the halo of some mythological character from far, far away, to the east… it was quite beautiful. The Japanese identity was a strong theme in his music as well, you heard many threads of the reedy Japanese flute sound, intertwined with the heavier hip-hop beats. One did wish for a bit more intimacy however. The environment was brightly lit (for a club) and the atmosphere was a bit thin. So was the crowd in fact, which was disappointing.

You would rarely find hip-hop music as musical and delicious to listen to as Krush. And certainly, his skills on the decks are difficult to match. At the end of the set, Krush raised his arms in the air and said “Thank You…” to huge applause, before adding, “I speak no English!” We cheered like a bunch of happy idiots – yes Hideaki Ishii-San, we like you. Krush’s set was musical and extremely wonderful to listen to, the music definitely called for intense partying, however something about the setting was lacking and the party-goers felt it. Overall the vibe was not as strong as it could’ve been, and I hope that next time Krush comes to visit we can put on a brighter party (the drenching rain and arctic weather sure didn’t help!)