Tokyo. November.

* Nathan Fake @ Taico Club, Womb (22nd November 2007)

Back to Womb to catch Nathan Fake. For some reason Womb were having trouble with their licensing so the gig was on early with the whole night shutting at 1. A Japanese DJ was playing some nice-enough minimal tracks before Nathan but as soon as he came on he up'd the tempo. I didn't know what to expect from him. Well actually I didn't get what I expected from him. I thought playing a live set he would be welding trippy soundscape into trippy soundscape. Like this live showcase that was recorded for the BBC. [Video with some incredible live visuals].

I actually went to see him at Bestival '06 but he was playingthe more stripped down beats in the circus big top and the sound got lost a bit. Plus I didn't have the patience to get into it. That and we found the 'Gulity Pleasures' hidden secret disco (down a tunnel from inside the Big Top) at the same time. That was a spiritual moment. So anyway, Tokyo and the bass and the beats.

He popped up pressed a key on his laptop and released an hour of relentless beats. It was all more dancable. Its hard to describe the sound he was producing and do it justice. He really is just a master of the digital live show and it was incredible to watch someone who truly exploits the potential of laptop mixing in such a banging fashion. He played for an hour and bar one massive spacey break down near the end of the set it was intensely rolling chaotic bassy beats chopping and changing, filtered and cut in and out. He could be signed to Warp. It feels like it has a strong AFX influence. It was pity the gig was early as I imagine a lot of people missed it but his live show is definitely highly recommended.

All in all it was kind of like...
Remy & Roland Klinkenberg Scrambled [Nathan Fake remix] [buy]
(Addictive 2004)
Just louder, harder and more relentless, for an hour.

If you've never heard Nathan Fake listen to the now seminal.
Nathan Fake The Sky Was Pink [James Holden remix] [buy]



* Maetrik @ Treibstoff records night, Colors / Danny Howells @ Womb. (23rd November 2007)

So went to check out Danny Howells at Womb the next night hoping the license problem was just a weekday thing. It wasn't which sucked, but when we turned up the bouncer took us to one side and told us to come back at 5 in the morning, when they would open up the main room. So we headed to check out Maetrik play at Colors which turned out to be a sick little club. 3 floors underground in what looked like a regular apartment block. Low ceilings, a typically good Japanese soundsystem and a lot of refined in-the-know Japanese clubbers. The soundtrack was deadpan techno, with Materik the showcase.

Come 5 and Colors shutting up shop, we headed back to Womb. Ushered in quickly off the street outside Womb the place was fairly quiet, people-wise, but Danny had taken to the decks and was moving Tokyo's Friday night leftovers. It was a funny scene. Danny predictabley played electronica and progressive (sometimes techy) house. The only track I remember being played was a track I put up on this blog about two weeks before the gig. Its off a 3 year old Kompact album. Superpitcher Baby's on Fire.

At the time I thought this way incredible. The chances are fairly slim. At the time I was also standing next to the decks (trying to take press photos with a camera I had dropped and broken about 4 hour before) so thought I would have a word with Danny. I bounced up behind the decks to try and tell before he took the record off, but as I did one of the Japanese promoting staff went apeshit. I didn't understand her. She just didn't understand the importance of the situation! It was getting late in the day.