Drum n bass. Possibly one of the dirtiest genres in the music scene yet its immense popularity has rooted its filthy foot firmly on the dance floor, making it the hottest sound for 2010. With Uber Cool Events monthly “Drum N Bass/ Dubstep Reloaded and Origin’s NoNoNo taking place over the weekend Chia Kougianos paid a visit to the dancefloor to find out more…
First up on the weekend gig list was a session of Drum N Bass/ Dubstep Reloaded brought to you by Uber Cool Events. The event took place at Origin night club situated in Clark road Durban and the night began with an exclusive VIP pre- party. Invited guests and DJs got the party started with a bottles of bubbly and enough delectable beats to get their bass face on before the party kicked off with a host of some of SA’s hottest DJs.
Friday night’s line-up of deejays included the oh so filthy beats of Durban’s Veranda Panda, Rude One, Dakin Auret, Martin McHale, Claudio and Cape Town’s Niskerone.
Mark Stevens, better known as Niskerone, has been dominating the South African drum and bass and dubstep circuit since 2004. It’s been said that the sound that emerges from the speakers when Niskerone is on the decks could be described as “a bowl of deep, pulsating subs mixed with fast two step rhythms and topped with subtle hints of dub, electro, jazz and funk” . Enough said.
A heavy round of filthy beats, tequila shots and guest DJs later, one would think I would reconsider the decision for a follow up evening but the intrigue of Boo! live and the NoNoNo bug had bit and I was soon off for round two the following evening.
Saturday night saw Boo! perform live and showcase some of their latest offerings on the SA music scene. The band have reunited to bring us another round of mind-bendingly weird, though surprisingly intriguing tracks. Their signature sound is affectionately known as “Monki Punk” as it breaks away from the typical use of bass, drums and guitar, and replaces the guitar with keyboard and brass sounds.
Their first introduction to the SA music scene saw them sky rocket on the charts and we were soon left to wave good-bye as they acquired a worldwide cult following gigging in over 800 gigs in 17 countries. While the band disbanded in 2004, they have tweaked their sound and added a new drummer to emerge after a 6 year hiatus. After wading through a packed crowd on the Engine Room dancefloor, I finally discovered the perfect place for clear viewing and was soon lifted on top one of the speakers. This undoubtedly landed me the “No.1 Fan” title resting on my little heeled feet but I was willing to risk it as I was too intrigued to see what Boo! had to offer. Soon the lights dimmed and the music faded as the musically-eclectic Chris Chameleon lead his fellow monkipunkers on stage to give Durban guests a sneak preview of their newly recorded album.
Innovative and somewhat weirdly creative, Chris Chameleon is a phenomenon on the South African Music front. He has a style all his own and could be seen mesmerizing the audience with his diverse voice range and quirky stage presence.
To add to the revelry, there was another impressive line-up of deejays pounding their beats into the dancefloor, including the dirty side of Coco Loco, the broken beat dubsteppery of Clippah, the indie juju of The Violet, the electro voodoo of Leo, the exotic groove of Vasan, and the mind-bending rhythm of Budhu & Udhit. Also spotted enjoying the weekend festivities was DJ Japanese Cowboy.
The slick delivery of drum and bass offerings certainly captured my attention and will undoubtedly continue to be a force to be reckoned with…that and the tequila shots they serve at the Wood Bar downstairs. Note to self…
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