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Strictly Kev (DJ Food) with DK, Bonobo, Four Tet
Date: 11.22.01
Venue: Knitting Factory - New York City
Bonobo
Any worthy head in 200 square miles who had heard the
latest Solid Steel installment "Now, Listen"
by DJ Food & DK saw the flyer for this show and
did everything necessary to get a spot on the floor.
Those lucky enough to make it into this show know they
couldn't be dissapointed, and they were right. Bonobo
kicked off the tunes for the anxious crowd at this midnight
show, weaving singles from his Animal Magic LP along
with laptop-aided
samples and loops covering a myriad of musical styles.
The flawless transistions from "Radio"-era
808 drops into Calypso tracks laced with Hammond organ
brought props from the crowd, and his set seemed to
peak as Powerbook infused distortion ended up with filthy
speed-garage. A gentle come down into Japanese string
choruses and bebop jazz shows Bonobo has a finely tuned
ear, and I'll be anticipating his follow up album.
Four Tet
Next up to bat, Four Tet brought the chin-stroking
analytical minds out of the woodwork. Certainly the
most interesting set of the night, he had a few people
looking around quizzically at others who just wanted
to bop heads and shake ass. He began with a very glitchy
IDM sound coming from one turntable and a laptop, would
isolate one of the beeps or bloops into a beat and lay
a surprising track over it, and then break it down to
another
glitchy mess. This construction /deconstruction continued
throughout his set, including such a few hints of Herb
Alpert style brass that mixed into a badass sound that
is best described as 8-bit Nintendo meets the Emperor
Haile Selassie in a dub meltdown. By the end of the
set, the smarties put away their monocles and gave it
up for a truly impressive offering.
Strictly Kev and DK
Strictly Kev of DJ Food and DK jumped out on stage
around 2am, all smiles and ready to throw down. They
switched on the trademark "Solid Steel - On The
Air" sign in front of the turntables, and quickly
got down to business. The set consisted of a "special
live version" of their new LP with extended transitions
that showcased the talent these two DJs have, and a
few surprise tracks that made sure the set wasn't a
carbon copy of the CD. Most notable was the absense
of DJ Vadim feat. Moshun Man's "Terrorist",
which made sense as I left The Knitting Factory and
saw the lit up area of the World Trade Center "Ground
Zero" 5 blocks away. An interesting line-up change,
but probably the best choice for this particular show.
Near the end of the set, a Jamaican dub version of Paul
Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" oozed
it's way out of the speakers and slowed the set down
while as the sweaty crowd smiled and shouted props.
Strictly Kev and DK definitely know how to rock the
crowd, but prove themselves among the few who can go
past that and lay down the incredible turntablist skills
many DJs would kill for. A show not to be missed.
-Bryan Middleton
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