Friday, April 15, 2011

Oneman B2B Jamie XX @ The Boiler Room



This is my shit right here. Amazing stuff from Jamie XX and Oneman going back and forth at what is probably the internet epicenter for this sorta music in my eyes, the Boiler Room. The two DJ's show their prowess, dabbling in what is essentially disco for the first 25 minutes, before getting into anything resembling bass music. And while the mixing may leave something to be desired, its the selection that shines through. Through 90 minutes we take a trip through garage, house, bass music, hip hop and disco. In the last half, probably 80% of the tracks get rewinds. You can see edge of the crowd on the video going ham. Definitely a good way to spend 90 minutes.

However, why is this so important? There's better mixes out there from both of these gentlemen and the countless others that have graced the Boiler Room, the Fact Mix, Rinse Fm and the other institutions of bass music. Its also a pandering set, that for a lot of it isn't even bass music but rather other more well known genres and tunes. However in my eyes its a huge moment as it demonstrates the accessibility of this scene to the dance music world at large.

It really highlights the importance of the aesthetic of bass music. Remember for a second here that the style and sense of music that is dominating non commercial clubs these days is the brash and aggressive electro and brostep. Bass music is alot cooler with its approach, emphasizing rhythm and dance above noise, moshing and pranging out, Bloody Beetroots style. As such, this set emphasizes the style of bass music where the rhythms of funky, garage and dubstep can sit alongside the house and hip hop for the masses. It makes the case that bass music can have as much fun as the other scenes, drawing on the favorites of the crowd, in a 'pop' sence, so long as it fits into the 'vibes' of the set. It sets itself up as a viable alternative and gives us two heroes in Jamie and Oneman

In the end, it hints at an interesting battle for the future of our dance floors, one that's not so much about genre, as it is about ideology.

Watch it or listen to it here.

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