Review – DJ Bailey
Revolution @ Rise played host to a special event last Saturday, with renowned dnb DJ Bailey being brought to our shores for an event that was looked forward to in dnb circles. Not being traditional dnb territory for touring internationals, the gig was a great mould breaking event, and as the Rise crew begin opening their territory to more diverse styles than their traditional fare, last Saturday was a great taste of a successful experiment.
By the time of arrival, both Trifle and Taxman had already played – and this reviewer hopes that from the reports of their great sets, that the opportunity to see both paly again will e presented soon.
Caching the tail end of Sardis set, there was nothing to dislike – Sardi always has a great tune selection and always puts whatever he has in his crate together like a true maestro. Greg Packer came to the floor next, and managed to break out an inspiring cascade of tunes, peppered with a few freshly-AIMd dubs. By this time, the dance floor was beginning to fill rapidly, and his tunes were completely in-tune with the variety of punters who had assumed the leg-step position. A standout moment was the drop of his new, allegedly, forthcoming single “She’s Breaking Up” – its eerily familiar vocal hook (rumoured to be from the Battlestar Galactica theme) sat perfectly over snapped out drums, and the crowd by that stage was lapping it up. Greg is still Perths master of versatility, and demonstrated exactly why he remains at the top of his game – his ability to cut across all social bounds in the electronic scene by playing his chosen genre is remarkable.
When the man of the moment arrived in dreaded-out style, the entire club was filled to capacity. Bailey didn’t hold back either, opening his set with his new tune, “African Descent” (being released on Metalheadz in the near future), he baked out the first hour with a fairly un-Bailey-ish inoffensive set, which is not to say that there were not some complete gems amongst the fold. The second hour however, the shift towards the darker, more edgy style that he is well known for came into play. Dominating tech-edged and bass-lines laden with growl were the order of the day, with surprises including a remix of the seminal Shadow Boxing and a tune that sounded very much akin to a “planet dust/speedball” mash-up. The darkness took over at the very end, leaving the regular rise-goers wondering what exactly was going on, but the dnb fans heaving for more. With such a diverse range of tunes, Bailey proved that the varied sub-genres of dnb can indeed meld well with each other in pleasurable style.
Muller stepped onwards from the Bailey-breakout and lifted the game from the slightly darker trip, funking it up a little extra for the fluro attired, but still remaining edgey in his selection. By the time the last set came around, Maxabillion was ready for the windup. Seeing this lad getting more and more gigs is a great thing for Perth dnb – let’s hope his times start shifting inwards as Perths promoters begin to recognise his emerging talent.
Playing host to Bailey at Revolution was a grand idea by the Rise management, and though they are fairly new to hosting regular dnb djs, they are doing a stand up job. The mix of punters, comprising the curious, the plur’d and regular jungle warriors also made the evening, and the people watching was almost, but not quite, as fulfilling as the music itself. Well done to the entire Revolution crew on a fun night out and a great vibe.
Tags: adrian sardi, dj bailey, Drum'N'Bass, greg packer, maxabillion, metalheadz, muller, revolution, shadow boxing, taxman, the rise, trifle