(Eyediola Photography)
As the month of February rolls along, Sub.mission has provided us with no shortage of top quality bass music to keep us entertained at Electronic Tuesdays. Coming fresh off a performance from Swindle last week, the UK madness continued 2 nights ago with a headlining performance from the one like Headhunter! Known as a man of many talents that doesn’t abide to a single genre or sound, Headhunter is one of the leading forces of underground bass music and to see him perform in the intimacy of Cervantes’ Other Side was a very special treat. As if a headlining performance from Heady wasn’t enough, the entire night was completely stacked with some of Colorado’s sickest local talent from the beginning of the night’s DJ Battles, all the way ‘til the closing set.
One of my absolute favorite parts about Electronic Tuesdays is witnessing the local battles at the beginning of the night. It’s always a new and refreshing experience to see hear what the upcoming talent from throughout the state brings to the table and to see what they’re made of. This week , selectors Killa Nilla, Synchronicity, Ether, & Iant took the stage to battle it out and make the most of their 30 minute time slots to move the crowd and set the tone early in the night. Upon the announcement of this week’s show, I was especially excited to see the local battles as these 4 DJ’s are all forces to be reckoned with and I knew that this battle would be one of the best to date. After one of the closest battles that I’ve ever seen at Electronic Tuesdays, Ian Tobias, better known as ‘Iant’ beat out the competition to be crowned this week’s winner. Iant has been a serious contender in the DJ battles at Electronic Tuesdays over the years and on Tuesday night he proved he’s got what it takes to advance to the next round and throw down in the February winners showcase. Congratulation to Iant and an honorable mention to Killa Nilla, Synchronicity, and Ether for putting on amazing performances as well!
Iant
(Eyediola Photography)
The narrow-hall venue of Cervantes’ Other Side began to grow in numbers and flooded out with bass music enthusiasts from a multitude of ages and background as it was time for Cetadon to take the decks. A member of the group ‘Jesus Piece’ as well as his alias ‘DJ Chris’ , some of you may remember Cetadon from previous performances at Sub.mission shows throughout the years. ‘Cetadon’ can be said to be a more experimental alias of DJ Chris that focuses on the deeper, minimal spectrum of Dubstep and has a flavor that is more reminiscent of the old-school UK sound. On Tuesday night Cetadon showcased this more refined and evolved style and had the crowd moving from beginning to end. Tunes like Commodo’s ‘Free Focus Remix’ , Biome’s ‘Cypher’ Loefah’s ‘Disko Rekah’ & Benga & Coki’s ‘Night VIP’ were among some of my favorite tunes that Cetadon played out and he played the role of the supporting slot for Headhunter flawlessly. Big ups to Cetadon for warming up the crowd properly and giving us a taste of his newly developed alias in his ‘Cetadon’ Electronic Tuesdays debut.
Cetadon
(Eyediola Photography)
Next up it was now time for Headhunter to take the stage in his Mile High return. Having seen him perform a handful of times in previous Denver performances, I knew to expect a fairly well-rounded set that touched upon various spectrums of bass music and maintain a constant fluidity throughout the entire set. Boasting an extensive catalogue of releases on highly esteemed labels such as Tempa and Trusik, Headhunter’s style is constantly evolving and on Tuesday night he performed a wide variety of his own original material as well as an arsenal of dubplates and exclusives as well. Headhunter is widely known for his forward thinking approach to dubstep and bass music in general and on Tuesday night he blended classic material with new aged bangers to deliver a massive headlining performance that won’t soon be forgotten. Tunes like Las’ ‘Uuah’ , Distance’s Remix of Mala’s ‘Changes’ , and Kryptic Minds’ ‘Six Degrees’ had the lighter crew in full effect and Headhunter instituted a proper lesson in true underground UK sound with an extended set. The bass was hitting hard, the vibe was thick, and Headhunter made a true statement in in Mile High return. Smiles from ear-to-ear graced the entire crowd and there wasn’t a stagnant body in the entire venue. Those that were in attendance witnessed a very special treat and this was undoubtedly one of the sickest sets I’ve seen in recent memory. That raw, uncut UK sound captivated me from the very beginning and by the time it was all said and done, Headhunter only left us wanting more!
Headhunter
(Eyediola Photography)
Following up Headhunter’s headlining set, it was now time for Sub.mission resident DJ Dillard to finish off the night with a bang. Widely known as one of the freshest talents throughout Colorado, Dillard is an artist that you can always count on to deliver a top-notch performance that emphasizes plenty of sub bass to get your feet moving and keep you busy on the dance floor. His skillset as both a DJ and a producer have established him as a true staple in the Denver dubstep realm and he never disappoints. On Tuesday night he put on a set that was far from the average Dillard performance. As soon as he took the decks, he captured the audience and kept our attention directed to the front of the room where the subwoofers projected heavy vibration and melodic tones. Dillard’s set on Tuesday night was diverse and he touched upon heavy, upbeat, and even a little bit of smooth, reggae vibes as well. My personal favorite part of his set was when he threw down J. Robinson’s ‘Lions in Croatia’ that had the dance floor clapping their hands and nodding their heads in approval. The late night crowd was amped up ‘til the very end and Dillard once again proved why he is a true badman behind the decks!
Dillard
(Eyediola Photography)
Big ups to everyone that made it out and took part in such a massive night in sound presented by Sub.mission. Each and every week at Electronic Tuesdays is a special occasion that showcases the finest in underground bass music and if you haven’t made it out recently, you’ve really been missing out! See you all next week as the one and only Jakes makes his Denver return to close out the month of February with a bang!