Big Shot Magazine

Live review: Unexhausted Sundaze at SB3, New York City

Darren Ressler

“I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a little drunk.” Globetrotting DJ/producer Lenny Dee, who helms the respected Brooklyn-based Industrial Strength Records, confided these words after playing a set of house and obscure cuts (including one from Nancy Sinatra!) at Unexhausted Sundaze on Sunday night. Known for his ferocious, big room sets in Europe, this techno titan doesn’t normally get to play for a small room.

On a day when most people kick back and unwind (especially when the weather outside is so damn nice), Mr. Dee was able to play tunes that don’t fit into his typical DJ sets. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but Unexhausted Sundaze also featured Aaron Liberator, Mark Verbos, John Selway and Shimmer & Stumble on the bill. These world-class DJs had the run of the cozy two-level bar (though we couldn’t vouch for their sobriety), and techno never sounded so good on the seventh day of the week. Unexhausted Sundaze made Monday morning a little less grim for a change.

Lenny Dee
Lenny Dee in the midst of dropping a Nancy Sinatra track (for real!)
Mark Verbos
Mr. Mark Verbos
John Selway
John Selway in the house
Shimmer & Stumble
Shimmer & Stumble: Obviously unaware of NYC’s no smoking rule.
Lenny Dee dancing
Lenny Dee: A dynamo in the DJ booth and the dance floor!

photos courtesy of Jules

Pendulum / Propane Nightmares (Earstorm/Warner)

Darren Ressler

Once again Pendulum are proving they’re more about taking their own path with their music than sticking to the ‘rules’ of drum ‘n’ bass. And while “Propane Nightmares” is distinctly catchier than “Granite,” the first single from their new album, In Silico (meaning “performed by computer”), I have to say it’s not living up to Pendulum’s hype. Yes, they’ve taken rock elements and blended them with d’n’b and Rob Swire’s undoubtedly astounding studio skills, but it’s not a very good representation of either genre. The VIP version with a more straight up dance floor feel is perfectly playable, but again it’s not their best d’n’b by a country mile.

Jeryl Wilton

File under: A Sub Focus remix of Nickelback

Live review: Lose Your Shit, Brooklyn

Darren Ressler

On Friday night I ventured to the Brooklyn Masonic Temple for Lose Your Shit, a party featuring DJ sets from two important UK acts. Headlining the bill was The Herbaliser, a venerable twosome (and sometimes band) consisting of founders Ollie Teeba and Jake Wherry. Together, they’ve done well to meld the worlds of funk, hip-hop and soul on their various albums and mix CDs. Then there was Dego from legendary drum ‘n’ bass duo 4 Hero. Along with partner Marc Mac, his productions on their revered Reinforced label helped create the blueprint for headier songs drenched with luscious breakbeats. I’d love to tell you how amazing their sets were but I never got to see ‘em.

I showed up at the Temple around 11:30 while the opening DJ posted on the main floor in front of the stage was spinning a decent set of funky old school hip-hop and party favorites. The venue was still filling up, so I waited patiently. The opening DJ faded out, and second DJ (who was positioned at the center of the stage) took over. I later found out his name is Memory 9, and apparently he had recently discovered the sampler feature on his mixer. Oh, the pain! Every few measures he’d sample and loop a selection of the song, and it was beyond annoying. While another DJ positioned below Memory 9 was getting ready to play on the main floor, the power cut out and everything stopped for a few minutes. The technical problem was fixed and the third local DJ (I think his name was $mallchange) took over. His set contained all of those James Brown records I never want to hear again, and my patience was truly being tested. A little after 1:00 a local disco/R&B band (I later found out they’re called Escort) with string section and horns took the stage and spit out a selection of original tunes that I found most unappealing.

I really wanted to see The Herbaliser and Dego, but I couldn’t take the music anymore. Three opening DJs and a local band are a lot to take in when you only care about the two headliners on the bill. But I learned my lesson: Next time I’ll take a disco nap so I won’t lose my shit again.

image of Escort: Darren Ressler

Portishead / Third (Mercury/Island)

Darren Ressler

A decade in the making, the UK trio’s third album is in fact, essential, venturing far enough outside their previous comfort zone—120 BPMs and climbing!—to not feel kitschy, while remaining recognizant of the magic found in their first two albums.

Fans from back in the day: Don’t feel put off if lead single “Machine Gun” doesn’t do it for you. This disc is all over the place, and it will convince you that you still have room in your life for Portishead. Consider “Hunter,” track two. A couple of sad guitars strum a soft saloon melody, accompanied by Beth Gibbons’ fragile vocals. Dissonant guitars crash in for the chorus, followed by a cut-time interlude of racing synths. This leads back to the saloon melody for verse two, where Gibbons sings, “I’m so confused.” Hardly. Third is so confident and intense that it’s impossible to mistake it as a grasp for relevance. They’ve updated their sound (lookout for a somewhat funky cowbell on “Magic Doors”), but the tone is still Portishead through and through. Has any band ever been more in the zone expressing the bleak and the miserable? (Or making beautiful love songs sound like laments?) Reconnect.

Christian W. Smith

File under: David Lynch soundtracks, cowboy funeral dirges, soundtracks for futuristic foreign movies where all hope is lost