Wednesday, April 8, 2015

TrollPhace w/ SQUNTO, Darko, 4LMNTZ & Andrew Garcia

TrollPhace w/ SQUNTO, Darko, 4LMNTZ & Andrew Garcia
 The Middle East Downstairs April 4th, 2015

Saturday night was a hot and heavy evening full of bass in your face, courtesy of Untame Nightlife. Headlining the show was dubstep giant TrollPhace with opening sets from talented local Boston area artists SQUNTO, Darko, 4LMNTZ & Andrew Garcia. Grimy, slimy and full of all sorts of wubs and wiggles, The Middle East Downstairs got rocked Saturday night.

Kicking off the beats for the evening was Danvers, MA native Andrew Garcia. A DJ on the rise with numerous shows under his belt this year already, Andrew Garcia is building his repertoire up.

4LMNTZ, started in 2008 is Justin Loranger’s hard electro project. Homegrown north of Boston in Wilmington, MA, 4LMNTZ’s death-core electro screamed through the venue. His artistic approach is heavily influenced by euro-house, and his musical presentation is the cross bread of heavy metal, devilish dubstep and dirty euro dance beats. 4LMNTZ is definitely a DJ to thrash ya wild hair to.

Chelmsford, MA beat maker Darko took the stage next. Being the lightest dub artist of the evening lineup, Darko refreshed the rowdy crowd with his booty shakin’ deep house beats. Smooth ridden melodies with tasty offbeat drops, Darko’s ability to play off the emotion of the crowd ensures a solid set delivery every damn time. With recent show openings for massive artists like drum and bass duo EOTO and deep house/trap group TORRO TORRO, Darko’s rise as a producer/DJ is constantly amplifying.
 Darko

Setting everyone up for the much-anticipated set by TrollPhace, SQUNTO blasted his deep sound into the Middle East Downstairs. SQUNTO has grown out of Holliston, MA and has developed into a heavy hitting dupstep artist, with backing by dub top dogs Excision, Trampa and more. Shrilling, chilling and undeniably thrilling, SQUNTO’s behemoth of a set rattled the crowd silly. Catch SQUNTO opening for Downlink this Thursday April 8th at the Middle East Downstairs.

Headlining the evening of devilish delight was TrollPhace. Coming to the east coast all the way from sunny LA, TrollPhace gave the hyped crowd everything they were waiting for. Opening a mosh pit up front for the more daring of the evening, everyone let it all go loose for TrollPhace. With drops like that of Helicopter Showdown and slice n dice shredding of Excision’s heaviest, TrollPhace’s electrifying tracks captivated the demons of the evening. About to head off to Europe for his France tour, TrollPhace continues to spread his heat for the globe to enjoy.
TrollPhace

Keep It Funky



Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Treehouse Live w/ DJ Set From Darko

Treehouse Live w/ DJ set from Darko || Lilypad April 3rd 2015

This past Friday, April 3rd, Boston’s homebred wizards of Treehouse Live took over the small, living room inspired venue The Lilypad located in Inman Square, Cambridge. Treehouse Live took the stage with their first set from 10-11, intermission with a DJ set by bass beast Darko, and T.H. closed the evening with their final set 12-1. With a venue capacity of approximately 75 people, the night was guaranteed to be an intimate one filled with great music and great company.

Producer/DJ Darko was the intermission entertainment of the evening, rounding out the jam/funk feel with some down tempo bass music. His well-crafted sounds elevate his music to another level. With his home-cooked beats Darko raises the bar and challenges DJ’s who simply push buttons. Frequently playing across Boston, Darko is a force to be reckoned with and a must to catch spinning on deck.


Treehouse Live is a gentle blend of Alex Moran on keys/synth, Dalton Markrush holdin’ it down on bass, Hamilton Kibbe on guitar and Ryan Slobin on drums. With evident influences from jam band greats Lotus, Dopapod and Phish, Treehouse Live’s sound is a tasty treat with a funky beat. They truly are a funk-tronica mix. What I loved most about the group is their charisma playing together. Nothing makes a band more impressive than their ability to play WITH each other, not just next to each other. Their individual skillsets compliment each other while creating a well-balanced and tasteful blanket of sounds. With a bright future ahead of them, I wish Treehouse Live all the best and cannot wait until their next show!
Treehouse Live



Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Lotus w/ Moon Hooch

Lotus & Moon Hooch || House of Blues Boston January 30th 2015


Lotus w/ Moon Hooch
           Moon Hooch opened for Lotus, a three-piece group from Brooklyn, New York. Band consists of drums and two saxophone players. The group got their start attending The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music as well as busking in the NYC subway stations. The group possesses a New Orleans, honky tonk style, full of electric energy and gets the party started. Light, groovy and festive, Moon Hooch was a fun opener for Lotus.

            Lotus, formed in 1999 in Indiana (now based out of Philadelphia, PA and Boulder, CO) is a five piece jam-electronica band. Signed to SCI Fidelity Records, Lotus is right at home in the jam band festival scene, alongside bands like The Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident and EOTO. Lotus is such a solid group in so many aspects, they never disappoint. Five piece group, including drums, bass, two guitarists and keys, jam trance is the name of their game. Having seen them over five times now, the boys always bring the heat. Futuristic live band funk, ethereal entrances, and a fat beat to always back them up, Lotus takes you on a journey throughout the entire performance. Mainly instrumental with occasional harmonized chants from the band, Lotus’s songs glide into one another, creating a constant wave of change. As usual the group performed two long sets, the second set being the better of the two.


Keep it funky