As the month of March is in full effect, Sub.mission has presented us with no shortage of top-notch electronic music talent to provide us with our weekly bass fix at Electronic Tuesdays. The anticipation going into Tuesday night was at an all time high as recently added Sub.mission Agency artists Lory Kong and Durandal would be gracing the stage in a massive headlining performance in this week’s throwdown. Not to mention there would be some serious local talent starting the night off in the DJ battles, along with a special guest appearance from beat-boxer ‘Heat Box’ and the one like Thanom would be closing out the night. The dance floor was packed, the vibes were thick and the entire night was stacked with talent from beginning to end. Here’s the rewind!
The night began at 8:00pm sharp as the weekly DJ battles featuring a wide assortment of Colorado’s finest local talent took the stage to showcase their talents and abilities to set the tone early in the night. This week’s battles further demonstrated how diverse and well rounded the local music scene in Colorado really is and we were treated to a good variety of styles and sounds including Dubstep, Downtempo, Giltch-Hop, Drum & Bass, and some Trappier/Hip-Hop styles as well. Selectors ‘Sexualmente, Xenolinguist, Unicorn Rave, and Rem & Ryuk’ were this week’s competitors and they brought the heat early in the night and proved why it is important to make your way on to the dance floor as soon as doors open. Making the most out of their 30 minute time slots, each act showed what they’re about and came out swinging! After a heated battle among the 4 acts, Unicorn Rave won over the crowd and judges to be crowned this week’s winner! His track selection and mixing abilities loosened up the crowd early in the night and had the energy in the room peaking and the night had only begun. Big ups to Unicorn Rave! Catch him performing in the March Winners Showcase battle taking place at Electronic Tuesdays on April 12!
UNICORN RAVE
(EYEDIOLA PHOTOGRAPHY)
Following the DJ battles, it was now time for the one like ‘Heat Box’ to take the stage and offer a unique, yet refreshing change of pace to the night. Having done some brief research on Heat Box prior to his set on Tuesday night, I was well aware that his guest appearance wouldn’t be a traditional DJ set, by any means. Instead, Heatbox put on an all-original and experimental beatbox performance that was unlike anything I had ever seen before at any previous editions of Electronic Tuesdays. His live singing, beat boxing, and looping combined to put on a performance that was entertaining and fun to witness. His stage presence was witty and portrayed a goofy sense of humor that the crowd couldn’t help but laugh along to and clap their hands accordingly. His original vocalist and beatboxing abilities brought forth a unique twist to the night and the entire audience was smiling from ear to ear. There was a considerable amount of live improv and playfulness during Heat Box’s 1 hour performance and I’m glad he was a special guest on this given night.
HEATBOX
(EYEDIOLA PHOTOGRAPHY)
Next up in the night’s rotation, it was now time for Lory Kong to take the decks in his highly anticipated Denver debut! Hailing from the southern state of Texas, Lory Kong is a member of the ‘Villainz’ dubstep collective and his tunes have been in constant rotation throughout the underground scene for quite some time now. Widely known for his bouncy and upbeat bass lines, Lory Kong’s flow offers a good balance of both new and old school sounds that resonate with dubstep lovers of every spectrum. Performing a wide array of his own original tunes such as ‘Dubstep Epidemic’ , ‘Carrot Juice’ & ‘Viddim’ along with old school dubstep bangers like 16 Bit’s ‘Frzr 9000’ & Skream’s ‘Filth’ , Tuesday night’s performance from Lory Kong demonstrated his versatility behind the decks and needless to say, he sure made an impact in his 1st ever Denver appearance. As I write this review, I have Lory Kong to blame for the current soreness in my neck that was brought on by non stop head-banging throughout his set and I still have yet to fully recover.
LORY KONG
(EYEDIOLA PHOTOGRAPHY)
The narrow-hall venue of Cervantes’ Other Side was packed out from front-to-back as it was now time for fellow Sub.mission Agency artist Durandal to take the stage in his Electronic Tuesdays return. Having witnessed Durandal’s performance at Cervantes’ Other Side in September of 2015, I eagerly awaited his Denver return for his own headlining performance and he definitely didn’t disappoint! Hailing from Utah, the one like Durandal has been gaining some serious momentum throughout the underground bass music circuit and is turning heads for both his original production and his DJ’ing abilities as well. When I first found out about ‘Durandal’ earlier in 2015, he was considered to be an upcoming talent in the game, but as time passed, it is clear that he is making his presence in this industry felt and is becoming one of the most exciting state-side producers that is pushing the limits of proper dubstep. His style of production embodies traditional dubstep roots with catchy drum patterns and heavy emphasis on low frequency bass lines that penetrate the crowd and make the ground rumble beneath your feet. On Tuesday night he performed an arsenal of his own original material with some of my favorite tunes such as ‘Speaker Test’ , along with his recent collaboration with The Widdler, titled ‘Space Crusin’ and he even threw down a fresh new one called ‘Hot Fire’ that he made specifically for his performance at Electronic Tuesdays a few nights ago. Throughout the entirety of Durandal’s set I found myself in a deep state of meditation with my eyes closed, surrendering myself to the sound. Regardless of your previous knowledge on the one like Durandal, I’d recommend keeping a close eye on him as his sound continues to evolve and make waves throughout 2016 and far beyond!
DURANDAL
(EYEDIOLA PHOTOGRAPHY)
Closing out the night it was now time for Thanom to keep the energy in the room high and finish out the night with a bang! No strange to Cervantes’ Other Side, Thanom is a talent that you can always count on to get your body moving and head nodding on the dance floor. Some of you might remember Thanom from his massive performance at Electronic Tuesdays a few weeks ago when he held it down on the primary support slot for Jakes and brought the heat like never before. This time around, Thanom was closing out the night and he still projected an intensity that was unmatched. Regardless of his previous performances, Thanom is an artist that you can always count on to bring something new and refreshing to the table each and every time. His flawless mixing abilities combined with unparalleled track selection combine to deliver breath taking performances that compel your body to move and keep you on your toes. It was evident that the late night Electronic Tuesdays crowd had plenty of energy left in them as the entire dance floor was skankin’ out to a load of Thanom’s original tracks as well as classic dubstep tunes like Jakes’ ‘3K Lane’ , as well as Bukez Finezt’s ‘Under Control’ and ‘You Don’t Belong Here.’ Sometimes it’s hard to believe that such massive throwdowns take place on Tuesday nights every single week and we have no one but Sub.mission to thank for it!
THANOM
(EYEDIOLA PHOTOGRAPHY)
Big ups to everyone that made it out and contributed to such an awesome night at Cervantes’ Other Side. Hope to see everyone out next week for a headlining performance from the legendary ‘Radikal Guru’!
Author: CARLOS GALVAN