PULSE
MY WEEK IN THE CLUBS
BY BENJAMIN BOLES
pole energized
The Tequila Lounge played host last
Sunday to a unique evening of dub reggae, experimental techno and
jazz-influenced electronic music.
Arrived to hear DJ K. Nunes spinning a warm-up set of dancehall
reggae, which set the stage nicely for a live performance by
Archetype, who combined heavy dancehall rhythms with elements of
avant-garde noise music and jazz. The core group of Todd Sines and
Charles Noel were joined by Rosina of LAL on vocals and Gurpreet
Chana on tabla. This challenging performance defies description. It
wasn't always accessible, but it was always interesting.
Following Archetype was Andrew Peckler, who carried on the spirit
of experimentation with a solo laptop performance.
His set referenced reggae less than the other performers and drew
more inspiration from free jazz. By layering dissonant melodies over
crackle-and-pop rhythms, a nervous electronic jazz sensibility
emerged.
Pole, aka Stefan Betke, was the reason most people came out,
since it was his first Toronto appearance in three years. Betke's
stage presence was surprisingly energetic considering the sparseness
and glacial pace of his glitch-driven techno dub.
This time around his sound referenced jazz as much as reggae and
was more melodic than past outings. His trademark sound of bass
lines underpinned by delicate crackle-and-pop rhythms is still very
much intact, but it's matured into something more musical, albeit
still very experimental.
harvest moon
Made the trek for the first time up to
Aldida Organic Farm in Bond Head for the fourth annual Harvest
Festival on Saturday and was blown away by how enjoyable the
experience was.
Testimonials by past attendees were all positive, but the actual
party exceeded all expectations. The three dance floors started to
fill up just as the sun set and they were still going strong by the
time the sun rose again. The tech-house barn was the most popular
spot, its multiple levels packed with partiers losing their shit to
some of Toronto's best-loved DJs, including Jeremy P. Caulfield,
Adam Marshall and the Dukes.
It was amazing that a hay-filled barn could put most clubs to
shame, although months of preparation for one night gave it a bit of
an advantage over normal venues.
The most overwhelming aspect of the party was the crowd's intense
friendliness -- so many strangers, so much hospitality. There was a
sense usually lacking in normal club parties that everyone there had
a personal stake in the event. All in all, it was a timely reminder
that the scene is far from dead, and that optimistic idealism can
still be a powerful motivator for creating a good party.
electric charge
The Electric Workers crew celebrated
their first anniversary of electro parties at the Mockingbird last
Friday.
The space was nicely done up using creative lighting and very
professional projections. While all the EW crew are good DJs, most
people were there for the live performances. Die Roboter's Kraftwerk
tribute was lots of fun and fairly authentic, but unfortunately most
stopped dancing and adopted the rock concert stand-and-watch
attitude.
Orgue Electronique, from Holland's Bunker Records, fared a bit
better at inspiring ass-shaking, but after a while the crowd
realized that watching somebody turn knobs isn't really that
interesting. Even so, it was a great set of funky but also very
musical electro-influenced techno, proving that while many hyped-up
electro projects aren't more than elaborate conceptual jokes, some
still make quality music.
benjaminboles@hotmail.com
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