James Zabiela

MidweekTechno got a HUGE boost this week as Soul Clap joined up with James Zabiela for an outrageous set the likes of which the Phoenix Landing have never seen! Bass heavy, crowd jammed in like some sort of rocket to paradise overflowing with passengers, we were almost beating them away with a stick!
I haven't gotten to play a show that was so much fun, and so crazy all at once. Soul Clap started early, throwing out some of their new tracks to a jam-packed house all eagerly listening and warming up their dancing feet. From then on the atmosphere only got crazier and more intense as the crowd swelled and danced the night away with the robo-master himself James Zabiela throwing down a set so hard and so origional that it was all i could do just to keep up- but I rocked out the visuals with style and flair, and by end of his first breakdown, I had a scheme down packed. Beat matched and all very robot/dystopia/future styled, the set featured scenes from THX-1138, Tron, War Games, and some vKa$h originals thrown in for good measure.
The Crowds response was intense. They clamored to get as close to the stage as possible for a better glimpse of a show that we will never be able to see again in such a venue. Getting these two big hits together (soul clap and James Zabiela) was so inspiring it reminded me of the days of the Cyber-Trance Movement back in SF, when going to a club was actually going to a show, not just going to a place to get wasted and try and score. House is coming back, and we are all just lucky enough to be a part of it.
Welcome back to life I say, and welcome to our world of full throttle, bass bumping, visual stimulating all around good shows!!!!

MidWeekTechno.com 10/15

October 15 rolled around sooner than I realized. But I somehow managed to not only enjoy great food at the Phoenix Landing in Cambridge, MA- but also a rather wonderful PRE-show! Sitting adjacent to me was a couple obviously intoxicated and obnoxious. I have no worries for these types of people- they can make great conversation, and an interesting drinking buddy or two- however something about this particular couple struck me as off. They seemed sketchy, and scandalous. They demanded their food after only 9 minutes waiting and then proceeded to wolf it down and take off down the street without paying. The greatest part of the whole ordeal was watching the bouncer take off with his 6' tall stride and chase them down the street to bring them back and force payment, well handled by the whole crew and my kudos for being so polite about someone trying to rip them off. The calamari as always was excelent.
So this MidWeekTechno session saw yet another triumph for the Airdrop family. Bringing in a bass heavy delight was Sergio Santos, a Boston favorite, and New Yorks own Connie. The beats were impressive to say the least. Welcoming them with open arms I synched up some very nice loops that were quick, poinant and most of all right on beat. The heavier the bass, the more i appreciated all the different clips I had to choose from. As the night drew on, i brought the videos in to a more darker scene, allowning a lot of red and "TV glitches" to add to the late night, early automn, October feel.
The vKa$h set was unusually animated with a lot less of the sexual vibe attached. I do certainly love playing highly edited sexy women, but it was nice to keep it minimal and really let loose after each breakdown. The songs were underground as usual, with some tracks plaid off of some very close friends of mine. A new high for me happened when Connie and I actually started planning some of our stuff out before each switch. Simple terms such as "im going tribal" or "get ready for the breakdown" can add so much to someone beatmatching from a selection of over two hundred clips. And with on-point beat matching, the visuals - although entertaining (from what I hear) were also used to heighten the tracks, and meshed well without being overbearing. All in all a great set and two DJs that I hope to work with again soon!!! Come on over Sunday and check out a visual set made to acompany the wonders that is Tanner Ross. Phoenix Landing Rebound should be a great one!