Archive | March, 2010

LeninsTomb presents… The Verge

31 Mar

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. Last week’s column profiled some throwback house music stylists, while today I’ll take a look at a few forward-thinking, left-field beat makers.

For all our talk of dubstep, you might think that anyone producing electronic music that isn’t equipped with a four-on-the-floor beat must describe their music in that way. Clearly, this isn’t the case, as a whole crop of producers are making music that defies easy classification. With influences from hip hop, turntablism, jazz, and R&B, among others, these artists tend towards the atmospheric and orchestral rather than danceable hits and boom-bap bangers. This is background music for an edgy tea house, or for partaking an herbal refreshment at home.

One of the most prominent purveyors of this sound is Flying Lotus. First gaining notoriety for producing the bumper music on Adult Swim, he eventually signed to like-minded record label Warp and began releasing a steady stream of music soon after. His highly anticipated sophomore record, Cosmogramma, is set for release on May 3rd.

The jittery, laser beam electro of Cosmogramma‘s “…And the World Laughs with You” features a brief, heavily processed appearance by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. The song builds over a stop-start rhythm, adding fuzzy synths like so many blankets on a cold, rainy day before devolving into a beat somewhere between jungle and minimal.

Flying Lotus – …And the World Laughs with You by greenplastic

He also produced for R&B chanteuse Muhsinah on her slept-on 2009 release The Oscillations: Triangle. The DC native and Foreign Exchange collaborator brings out the sultry side of FlyLo’s music on “Lose My Fuse,” a swirling beat and bass combo acting as the perfect soundscape for her vocal style.

http://www.youtube.com/v/9zSac0j6qKM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01

Tokimonsta, a Flying Lotus protege and member of his Brainfeeder Records family, produces a more hip hop based sound. The LA-based artist played a live set at SOVA back in January, and rather than DJing, she manipulates and tweaks beats live. Her remixes give tracks a grimy, lo-fi character, that re-create the music in exciting new ways. Here’s her take on Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick Push:”

http://www.youtube.com/v/Id8CN50KdqY&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01

Check out Toki’s free 2008 Attention Deficit mixtape, which includes remixes of “How High” by Meth and Red and “A Mili” by Weezy. Her debut EP Cosmic Intoxication is due on Brainfeeder on April 29th.

FlyLo’s Warp labelmate Hudson Mohawke makes music that glitches and shimmers like CPUs singing love songs. At 15, he was the youngest ever UK DMC finalist. At 24, he’s an in-demand producer/DJ, quickly making a name for himself. His compositions are dense, moving, and groundbreaking. “FUSE,” off his 2009 Warp record Butter, is a massive tune full of bubbling synth lines and percussion that crashes through your speakers:

http://www.youtube.com/v/2hWrxfuzwjQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01

Technology not only allows electronic music to be made in new ways, but it also expands the breadth of sounds and styles that exist. Thanks to the diffusion of music made possible by file sharing and a robust Internet culture, more artists in the mold of Flying Lotus, Tokimonsta, and Hudson Mohawke are over the horizon and on the verge.

DJ Cold Case…All The Way Live.

30 Mar

Dain Snyder and the good people of District Ignition invited me the play their Snatch party at Muse this Friday. Definitely excited to play a spot that’s recently hosted Haitaras, Treasure Fingers, and DJ Craze. Make sure to RSVP on the Facebook Page for reduced admission.

This and every Thursday you can cat me at The Rock and Roll Hotel with DJ Doc Rok for Beat Market Thursdays. It’s an open format dance party where we play any and everything that gets the party moving. Hear our favorite 90’s hip-hop, old school funk, electro and much much more. If you love music and can’t wait til the weekend for a dance party this is the spot.

JAPANDROIDS @ ROCK & ROLL HOTEL – 3/29/10

30 Mar


Indie rock is defined by trends. Call it revival, tribute, or pastiche, but bands that fall under the generous umbrella of “indie rock” are constantly going back to the well of rockers past for inspiration. A current trend finds many bands aping the sound of shoegaze pioneers like My Bloody Valentine, creating huge walls of fuzz that wash over the listener like waves of static.

Vancouver’s Japandroids get fuzz, but rather than waves, they release blasts of distorted guitars like a fire hose. Playing Rock and Roll Hotel last night, the band captivated a packed house for over an hour with aggressive but fun garage rock.

Guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse split the stage like Solomon’s baby. Like other notable duos, chiefly Death From Above 1979, they compensate for the lack of a bass guitar with a full-frontal sonic assault, all muscular chords and non-stop drumming. Earplugs are necessary, but the sound is clear despite being extremely overdriven. The riffs are familiar and catchy, recalling alternative rock from the mid-90s and early 2000s, be it grunge or emocore. While they share vocal duties, King takes the lead, with a charming blend of mania and Canadian aw-shucks pleasantness. They’re genuinely appreciative but self-deprecating, like when King told the crowd that they didn’t deserve applause after an unsatisfactory (to the band) performance of “Hearts Sweats.”

Japandroids played most of their Pitchfork-approved record Post-Nothing, along with older material, including a cover of Mclusky’s “To Hell with good intentions” and obscure songs like “Body Bag.” After a brief intro, the band kicked into high gear with “The Boys Are Leaving Town,” where Prowse’s extended drum fills mirror the chorus: “will we find our way back home?” On “Rockers East Vancouver,” King took the opportunity to “dance around and play guitar like an asshole,” his favorite part of the set. After a bit of hypnotic sludge that bordered on stoner rock, the band launched into standout “Young Hearts Spark Fire,” with it’s sing-along chorus of “We used to dream / now we worry about dying / I don’t wanna worry about dying / I just wanna worry about those sunshine girls.”

http://www.youtube.com/v/0A2Ya2gQIa0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01

Opener Love is All, a five-piece from Sweden, played a set of bouncy punk and pubhouse rock. Lead singer Josephine Olausson, looking like Steve Zissou in her striped shirt and orange skullcap, sings slightly off-kilter rallying cries, reminiscent of other Scandinavian singers like Ida Maria and Lykke Li. Unfortunately, the band was pushing into the red, and the resulting cacophony sounded unfocused and repetitive. The band could stand to take a cue from Japandroids and perfect the mixing; it’s a shame that the rollicking songs on the recently released Two Thousand and Ten Injuries were lost in a bad mix.

SEAL OF APPROVAL: (Bmore) MAJOR LAZER w/ RUSKO and The Sleighbells @ BOURBON STREET – 3/31/10

30 Mar

I’m going to make this brief.

The creators of TGRI’s best album of 2009 are coming to Baltimore tomorrow night. Alongside them they’re bringing Skerrit Bwoy and a legion of men and women who will simulate sex onstage in ways that will confound the human mind. The last time Diplo was anywhere near the area for a Major Lazer show, a friend of mine got so excited she did a full backflip off of the stage to the floor. Need more motivation? The video for “Pon de Floor” is going to happen live! Need a refresher?

Pon De Floor featuring Afro Jack & VYBZ Cartel from Mad Decent on Vimeo.

Rusko is the most pop friendly dubstep producer in the world. The two released tracks from his Mad Decent debut, “Woo Boost” and “Cali Anthem” have in the case of the former defined Rusko as a pop celebrity, and in the case of the latter caused the entire population of the DJ booth at Will Eastman’s Bliss party at the U Street Music Hall last Saturday night to begin to jump up and down and violently mosh and grind to a 2Pac and Dr. Dre sample.

Rusko – Woo Boost from Mad Decent on Vimeo.

And openers Florida natives now residents of Planet Brooklyn the Sleighbells? They’re worth every ounce of their hype right now. Any band that lists funk pioneer James Jamerson of Motown session musicians the Funk Brothers as a top friend on their Myspace page? Fine by me. Heavily funky pop trending electro with a girl lead singer? I can like that. And you can too.

THE DROP: Erykah Badu’s thought provoking and very nude video for "Window Seat"

30 Mar

Not but last week did we spend some time discussing the broader cultural impact of Erykah Badu’s R & B career and her very measured march to mainstream success in discussing new album New Amerykah Part Two. As if straight from central casting, we get her latest video released on the album’s drop date for “Window Seat.” (video after cut) Borrowing from Matt and Kim’s MTV VMA winning clip for “Lessons Learned,” the soul diva takes a very historic walk through her Dallas hometown retracing the path John Kennedy rode before his assassination. This video re-contextualizes the Brooklyn hipster punk-pop duo’s controlled stripped and naked insanity in Times Square, and turns it into something eminently more thought provoking.

Upon her death, blue blood leaks from her body and spells the word “groupthink.” A voice gives a verbal definition, and the video, in its last 45 seconds reaches maximum poignancy. The concept of a “groupthink” mindset in mainstream culture is always a troubling idea to wrap one’s mind around. Large groups of people sharing a similar mindset of how to see the universe and refusing to move and break as individuals is troublesome, and an issue. The fact that Badu herself, a noted non-conformist would be shot, only to re-emerge as some sort of renewed Nubian soul priestess is intriguing, as maybe she’s sacrificing what was once herself to the mainstream “groupthink,” but has the strength to evolve and continue to develop. On a musical level, it only makes the author lament Lauryn Hill, who as an artist succumbed to such a mindset as her rampant individuality became a commodity and Hill, for a number of reasons lacked the emotional strength to ever be the same. On a social and human level, there’s a clear groupthink mentality that permeates any democratic society, much like our own, as a “first past the post” concept of voting eschews individuality that doesn’t at least capture at minimum 50% of the people all of the time. “Windowseat” as a track isn’t a blow away production, but pause for the video. As always, if Erykah Badu is involved, it’s more than a worthwhile use of your time.

Tales From the Darkside Vol. 1: Blessure Grave

29 Mar

I was recently asked, by the one and only Marcus Dowling, to write a weekly piece to give readers an idea of what I was intrigued by in a given moment. A bit of balance from the negative periphery of the music void, if you will.

I have more than happily complied, and so, that would make this my first entry. Here is the current inspiration for my murmured incantations.

For those outside of the DMV, it’s a given that there is a steep peak in the rising popularity of “dark” music. Yes, in many ways bands inspired by the likes of the fragile and sincere, though aped and overused legacy of Joy Division. But, unlike their painful, insincere calculators of several years ago (take the travesty of Interpol, for instance), these new bands are coming up from the underground. Joy Division would be simply one reference on a line of many, as these persons live in those off beaten folds of the music world. Beyond The Cure and The Smiths, I’m sure names like Kas Product, Gary Numan, Killing Joke, or even Christian Death would be intoned.

My attention, as of late, has been caught dead on by one band in particular. San Diego’s Blessure Grave craft papyral sheets of minimal, angular tracks for the downtrodden of heart. After seeing what was a phenomenal performance at SXSW, I picked up their
“Learn to Love the Rope” LP, and it has been on my turntable ever since.

The sounds here are sparse and jagged, and they don’t rely heavily on the techniques of lo-fi, or layers of synthesizers. Instead, Blessure Grave leans on well placed, post-punk guitar riffs, and driving toms. It’s interesting to see them perform as a full live band, and know how thin a sound they weave.

The vocals could have a minor Ian Curtis comparison, but I think that would be a detractive cop out. Instead, on their own merit, they come across as rough and simple, usually coupled with two-part dis-harmony. Likewise, the words they are stressing are simple diatribes that speak volumes to those who understand.

“Learn to Love the Rope, ” starts off with a bang, and the self-same song. It’s the catchiest piece on the album, for whatever that’s worth. A few strummed chords give way to war-like drums, and, instantly, Toby Grave’s vocals drop in. A certain sadness drives the song until it lands at the chorus, where Toby is joined by Reyna Kay to shakily lament:

“She said hold her words close to my heart. But my hands are broken, so the words just fall apart.”

After the first track thunders out, the second track, “Mirror,” slides in a little slower, but still maintains the through line of regret:

“There’s times where I know, the reasons I live for aren’t worth my time, or part of my life.”

On the flipside of the album, drums hail the introduction of, “Hindsight,” as they are met by more male/female vocals, leading up to the emphatic refrain of:

“In hindsight, I should have tucked myself into dirt. It’s the only place I have free from all the hurt,”

before dropping out to a quiet rhythem being followed by a rich bassline. Cat call-like guitars stitch the song together, and help put it down in the end.

“Stop Breathing” is a very polished sounding track, but it still utilizes the definitive sound of Blessure Grave to its fullest extent. And, finally, “City Lights,” pulls the tempo down to an eerie place where “Learn to Love the Rope” can finally rest in peace.

All in all, it’s a very solid record, by a band ever rising in prominence. It’s interesting to see this resurgence, spreading from the most “fashionable” areas of the country down. But, however, you may feel on the subject, it’s worthwhile to keep up with bands like Blessure Grave, to see where this all ends up.

Until next time…..

Thinkpieces, Vol. 1: Lady GaGa

28 Mar

March 28: 1,777 years ago today De Pascha Computus commemorated the Nativity, birth of a man – son of God – who brought mankind from the darkness of sin; today, we commemorate the birth of a woman – deity of Pop – who brought a generation from the dark ages of social oblivion. On this day ancient Romans celebrated the production of the Sun and the Moon; today we celebrate the personification of The Fame and The Monster. In the midst of a generation described as Godless, artificial, celebrity-obsessed, and lost, emerges a renaissance artist who gave you freedom in the music – found your Jesus, and your Kubrick. Happy Birthday Lady GaGa.


Lady GaGa inaugurates the Thinkpieces column because she is the first true renaissance artist of our generation; beyond music, she is the iconography of an era: completely. GaGa is the product of every great artist, ideal, movement, fashion, and fad before her; she is the pulse generating contemporary culture’s aesthetic and identity; and at 24, she has propelled herself to the top of Pop’s pantheon as the matriarchal monarch against which all those who come after her will be gauged – future notwithstanding she has become the barometer against which her own predecessors assess themselves: beg to differ? Mhmm Honey B – thought not.

What GaGa has done in 18 months is incomprehensible – to truly think about it would tear any human mind to pieces. Four number one singles from a debut album, six number one singles from six single releases, over 10 million albums sold, and over one billion YouTube views worldwide; numbers don’t lie, but men and women do – at GaGa’s feet. Diddy says “Pick a car which one I ain’t been in, pick an actress which one I ain’t swim in;” GaGa’s track record says “pick a fiend which one I ain’t fixin” – she delivers more hits than Frank Lucas; whether she’s writing for Britney, PCD, or NKOTB, sidekicking Wale, Beyonce, or Trina, sharing samples with Kanye, Common, and Cudi, or she is feeding the dead industry back to life and diversifying her bonds like WuTang Clan – this free bitch ain’t nothin’ to fuck with. The only thing more diverse than her portfolio is her persona – she is a cultural phenomenon because she is a panoramic projection of everything “now.”

More than any other generation, we have access to innumerable volumes of information and influences; we are the entitled products of everything that came before us, and though we may ignore it, GaGa embraces it. GaGa epitomizes originality as the art of concealing one’s sources – in plain view. She creates music using Beatles methodology of subtle time signature and key changes veiled under a superficially simple sonic surface, beats that range from Bowie and Mercury Glam Rock riffs, to Darkchild and RedOne club-bangers, to Minogue and Madonna disco diamonds-in-the-rough. Her videos are brilliant melanges of visuals themes touching in on the Stonewall Riots and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” a la “LoveGame,” to the faulting of Princess Diana’s death on the “killers behind the cameras” in the “Paparazzi” video – subtly inserting the sound of stabbing knives below the snap of camera lenses as the voyeurs film GaGa’s own demise. “Bad Romance” calls upon Alexander McQueen’s Plato’s Atlantis fashion platform to set the stage for a masterful video paralleling the music industry with Russian human trafficking – the method of payment and purchase: “Beats by Dre” laptops. Her live shows are touted as only described in relation to the magnanimity of Madonna’s Confessions and Sticky & Sweet, and u2’s 360 Tours. She is admittedly what she wears – rather doesn’t wear – and even then is reflective of a grand cacophony of Pop past, present, and future. It’s her Ranier Maria Rilke tattoo branding the iconic German poet’s devotion to the literary catharses, and the Chola “Little Monsters” gang tat directly below. It’s her clothes designed by everyone from Jim Henson to Giorgio Armani, and inspired by everything from strippers to Queen Elizabeth I. It’s her famed “Pop Music Will Never Be Low Brow” video glasses – designed by her in-Haus NASA engineers, capable of syncing up to any Apple computer to play movies, tv shows, etc. Just as The Living Dress resurrected art from the vapid facade of artifice, she is a living cultural convergence.

Past the paparazzi flashes, beyond the bubble dresses, and beneath the bloody lingerie lies the true essence of Lady GaGa: “an artist through and through.” However, artists have much in common with their comrades in cultural renascence: scientists; both describe their work as experiments – part of a series of efforts designed to explore a common concern or to establish a viewpoint. GaGa is that rare hybrid of both an astute artisan and a masterfully mad scientist. She has pervaded every aspect of the public arena by publicizing and personifying hidden-in-plain-view taboos in order to establish a general perspective – her life’s work is to make the clandestine commonplace, because the status quo is skewed. As much a revolutionary as she is a renaissance artist, Lady GaGa treats culture as her canvas, and the social landscape as her science lab. Yet even as she acts as a perpetual fusion of such overarching dichotomies, she does so from behind the veil of the familiar face of a twenty-something New York doll; and thus is why she is the paramount regenerator of a lost generation – even in spite of the blind hatred,

“In the wake of that shock overdose came Lady Gaga. She gave us the spectacle of degradation. She showed us videos of herself vomiting. She chained herself to a pole by her hair. She wore a dress made of bubbles. Now she’s been stripped in prison and committed mass homicide. The images no longer even make sense; the more incomprehensible they are, the more they feed into viewers’ hunger for the grotesque.

cynics can’t help but to bow and equate her with greatness

Past eras have been defined by their art. Greece had Sophocles and Plato. The Renaissance had da Vinci and Michelangelo. Will the 21st century be remembered as the Age of Gaga?”

“There is no competition too; it’s good to wake, look in the mirror and the only competition’s you, and that one ain’t even seein’ me…” GaGa’s reflection must have a hard time being she.

THE DROP: Is Joker the world’s best dubstep producer? A case for yes and why…

27 Mar

http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/9player.swf?revision=10344_10570

Marcus here. TGRIOnline has had a bit of a love affair with dubstep as of late. The sound has truly evolved, and is all about exploring and setting new sonic boundaries. As always, the UK is at the forefront, and in the mind of this author, Bristol’s 20 year old synesthetic sound machine, Joker, is at the top of the game. With a sound that can only be best described as bass heavy 8-bit soul, the young man, who sees sound as color (namely purple) is setting a new precedent for the sound in taking it in a definitely more R & B friendly direction. Check his above streamed mix (available above, after the cut) from the MistaJam Radio show from the BBC that starts at the 1:32:00 point. As dubstep moves gingerly from its reggae and dub inspired roots, there will be many unfortunate attempts at re-appropriating the sound. However, Joker has been dead on point recently with the inherently dark yet melodic audio landscape of his sonic universe.

UPDATE: Cop the Joker guest mix!

Yes, those initially reading that Tweet may have been concerned, but in this mix, there are his takes on Dead Prez’s “Hip Hop,” as well as mixes of Major Lazer’s “Hold The Line,” and a drop that inspires insanity from MistaJam himself as he hears, yes, elements of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” in the mix. Let’s also not forget his new track “Tron,” inspired by this summer’s expected blockbuster with the Daft Punk soundtrack. What does purple sound like when it goes to space?

SHIT I’M DIGGING THIS WEEK

27 Mar

aka avant garde water cooler musical discussion


1. Duck Sauce debuts at Winter Music Conference

A-Trak and Armand van Helden co-conspired with the help of the Fools Gold imprint to flip the electronic underground on their ears last ear with magnificent disco reminiscing edit “aNYway,” which proved that there was cache and necessity for reminiscing about what nights at Brooklyn’s 2001 Odyssey must have felt like in 1979. Well, the top duo debuted Thursday night at the Winter Music Conference to rave reviews, dropping a cross genre blend of sonic debauchery that left all in attendance jumping, screaming, waving their hands high and getting into the electro boogie. Special thanks to Baltimore’s TaxLo and NO RULE and a plethora of other events organizer Cullen Stalin for the footage from last night. (footage after cut)


2. Freddie Gibbs. Continue to get familiar!
Gary, Indiana native Freddie Gibbs was sent to save rap music. You may not feel it needs saving, but this author swears that if he hears another kid in skinny jeans and a cardigan sweater go in over a hipster electro break, I may wretch. I miss angry yet vital rhymes by urban rhymeslayers who felt the need to inform us that life was hard. The influx of middle class emcees is wonderful. On some level, that bespeaks a certain notion of upward mobility for African-Americans. But for hip hop, something is gone from the beating heart of the genre for me when I can’t hear killer rhymes about, well, killing, or dealing drugs, and the hardships that lead to this behavior. There’s a necessary yin to yang ratio that is woefully off in rap music, so, take a seat, and enjoy Freddie Gibbs over the instrumental to “Drugs” by Lil Kim. It’s absolutely worth your time.

3. The So So Glos are at DC’s Black Cat Backstage on Sunday night!
I’m very heavily of the belief that Brooklyn’s So So Glos are one of the best bands in the universe. Blending classic punk with hints of electro and a VERY hook friendly style, they are easily the tightest sounding band in Brooklyn, and, given the musician per square foot nature of the area, that really says something. They started their own venue/living space/practice venue the Market Hotel, and are all about being nurturing and supporting of their scene and their music. DIY NYC punks that are eminently listenable and have a political message? Is it 1978, or 2010. Come to the Black Cat on Sunday night and decide for yourself.

4. Remember the Bobb Deep mash up collection by DJ Swindle? Hell….remember mash ups?
OK. About five years ago before every hipster that became a DJ had to spin a million parties to be worthwhile, the whole idea was to be a DJ and make “dope” mashups. For every 100 mashups I go through on my iPOD these days, (and trust, I have them ALL), maybe one stands out as a worthy combination after a few years of not listening at all. Of course, nobody in my mind still holds up quality and quantity wise to San Francisco’s Party Ben, but NYC’s DJ Swindle? He did a few of these collections, and of all of the many tracks, this take on Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Part 2” blended with “I Shot the Sherriff,” from a thematic to meter of lyric holding to measure of track level, might be the best, and one of arguably the best mash ups ever. Do enjoy!

Cmonwealth’s TOP BILLIN’ takes hip hop to the U Street Music Hall’s Temple of Boom with AMAZING results…

26 Mar

Hip hop music made it’s initial foray into U Street Music Hall on Thursday evening as east coast clothing giant Cmonwealth sponsored one of their “Top Billin” events featuring the Missile Command duo of one-half of the Neptunes Chad Hugo, and Bmore’s own and Neptunes tour DJ Hip Hop Dan. Dan is one of the more notable historic DJs to the local underground dance scene, as during his time as an undergrad at the University of Maryland, his otherworldly talents and unique ear for blending disparate musical styles influences individuals like fellow Maryland student at the time Dave Nada to take their DJing craft much more seriously and pursue it further and deeper. It was quite apropos to have sets spun by Dan in the inaugural period of a hall that likely, on many levels wouldn’t exist without his historical influence.

Hip Hop Dan (via http://www.lifelounge.com)

However, the best laid plans often go awry, as was the case last night, as Chad Hugo missed his flight from Miami due to the extenuating circumstances of working with Pharrell on the upcoming Neptunes release. For the average event, this would be a terrible occurrence, but for this particular party, there was a forgotten ace up the sleeves of the event coordinators that turned the night into the most ridiculous event held in the venue’s brief history. Hip Hop Dan opened with a set that, as per usual, recalled DJ AM, as Dan’s seamless, all-star ability to blend top 40 cuts across genres was on display, Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake seamlessly falling into Young Jeezy, the Clipse (more on them later) and the Neptunes, a cross cultural jaunt that for a VERY hip hop minded audience was the perfect opening set for what was to come.

Yep, that’s Harry Hotter with the Pied Piper of R & B, Robert Sylvester Kelly

Whether you know him as Harry Dixon or Harry Hotter, Harry Hotter is one of the finest DJs on the East coast. The only reason you’re likely unaware of him is that as soon as the underground became a raging maelstrom of party energy, Hotter disappeared from the scene for four years. He re-emerged as a top 40 and grown and sexy cut spinning bottle service club DJ instead of the ravey underground house and rap spinner he was before. His skills and talents on DC’s downtown scene has earned him favor amongst people like R. Kelly and The Clipse. Coincidentally the Newport News trap rappers’ Play Cloths line is sold at Cmonwealth, and due to Cmonwealth’s origin being intrinsically linked with the Star Trak family, it was quite the no brainer that when Hugo was unable to make the party, that Hotter get the call.

What separates Harry Hotter from pretty much every other DJ I know is his mental library of music and his ability to blend that with a note perfect ability to read a crowd. Yes, U Street Music Hall would appear to be the most indie of indie music venues, but Harry turned the Temple of Boom into Park at 14th for the night, throwing down a scintillating mix of mainstream classics including such little known jams as Frighty and Colonel Mite’s “Life is What You Make It,” a reggae toast that I’m fairly sure was a hit nowhere else but DC, where in the spring and summer of 1990, it was completely unavoidable, to club tracks like Cajmere’s “Percoloator” and DJ Class’ “I’m the Shit.” Weaving through Jagged Edge and the Wu Tang Clan and turning the peak hour of the party into a sweaty funk massacre of heaving bodies, Hotter, who spins Saturday night’s Bliss party U Hall debut did what he always does, hearkening back to the summer of 2009’s loft partties thrown by the AV Lifestyle Group, throw down the mix most appropriate to turn that crowd from a sea of Blackberry and murmuring conversation obsessed individuals into a crowd of partiers, Hotter being one of the cities chief ambassadors of a good time.

The clarity and depth of sound at the U Hall, which has been the all star for most of the sets spun at the venue so far, took a backseat last night to maestro selectors who, with the aid of a most excellent soundsystem can play unfettered, and to the utmost of their abilities. Noting that Sam “The Man” Burns, Jess Jubilee, Nick Catchdubs, DJ Ayres and the Trouble and Bass Crew, alongside the rising party smashers of Nouveau Riche are forthcoming to the venue only portents the sweatiest of sweaty nights to come. Yes, the U Hall is hot. Oppressively hot. Sure there’s air conditioning, but you can’t feel it. The star, above ALL else at the Temple of Boom is the music. And when in the hands of people like Hip Hop Dan and Harry Hotter last night, it’s going to be an optimal sonic experience.

Need some Harry Hotter mixes in your life to tide you over until Saturday night’s Bliss at the U Street Music Hall?

Here’s his minimix for Saturday Night’s Bliss event!

Ad if that’s not enough, check his Coolout mix from last summer, STILL one of the kingpin contributions to the local music collection of last year with some of the most creative blends and re-edits you’ll hear anywhere.

And here’s Hip Hop Dan’s latest from January, the “Sort of Like a Dream” mix, taking things in an aurally different direction, with some indie rock mixes that provide in his own words, “a more serene and balanced aural experience. The goal was to create a foggy, dream-like atmosphere, one with few peaks and valleys but instead spongey and shapeless. Sort of like a dream.”

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