Progressive Funk
Oct 8th, 2008 3:43 pm
I have to admit, I was rather blown away by Simian Mobile Disco’s DJ set at matter on Friday. I’ve seen them live and DJing a few times, but this occasion saw them really step up their game. In terms of what they do, they’re probably the best, in my opinion having probably surpassed Erol Alkan, who is their closest peer in that kind of electro/techno/house scene. Although the longer the night went on, the more I became convinced I was actually listening to progressive house. And really enjoying it.
The dance floor at matter doesn’t disappoint, every beat is seismic in its power; the sound is crisp, and the venue a genuinely impressive space, which feels like a Roman amphitheatre in a Berlin concrete style. Its not the kind of place you’ll want to go to every week, but once in a while this could be a great venue to visit.
There was something kind of sadistic about their set; melody was largely eschewed for relentless acid and techno bleeps, but what could have become boring was consistently thrilling in their hands. “Space Warrior” by Smith N Hack for instance seems designed to pull in two directions at once, not really feeling entirely satisfying on its own, but utilised by SMD it flowed perfectly, pulling down one track and bringing up the other. I never really got “Space Warrior” until I heard them play it, but on the matter soundsystem, it really was amazing. The big surprise for me however, was when they dropped this.
The surprise was not necessarily that it was played, but how much I enjoyed it. I was put on to this months ago by a friend of mine who’s a big Warp Records fan. For those who don’t know, DJ Mujava is a South African producer from the townships of Pretoria, (where a style of dance music called Kwaito is the dominant form) and has just been picked up by Warp for worldwide distribution. This track’s had a lot of hype, and and prior to Friday I was suspicious that it didn’t really live up to it, but after being part of the joyous mayhem that ensued when that breakbeat started, and the bass came through the floor, I have to say, it may just be that good. Sometimes all it takes is a really good soundsystem. Buy it here.
And if you want to go to matter, and live in London, you could do no worse than Friday 24th October, when James Murphy will be bringing the DFA crew to town, one of the highlights of which will undoubtedly be a live performance by Gavin Russom aka Black Meteoric Star. Check the video for what you can expect.
Check the event info here.
