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Concert Tue Sep 11 2007
Let's Get Fidgetal, part II
Maybe it's all part of an international conspiracy to bassquake the planet, but it looks like this weekend is about as solid as it gets for visiting top-tier talent from across the pond. There's not one, but two such events in the offing; and that may mean a choice is in order. So if you don't feel like shelling out the skrilla for the Diplo & Switch show this Saturday, and would maybe prefer to go to a similar outing where an actual dancefloor is involved, then you should head to Smart Bar on Friday, where Berlin-by-way-of-London DJ Jesse Rose will be making a guest appearance.
As a deejay and producer, Rose is one of a small cadre of new-school trackmasters who's come to the fore of the UK dance music scene. Along with fellow travelers Graeme Sinden and Joshua Harvey, his tracks have perhaps most exemplified the burgeoning "Fidget House" sound that's been brewing on the other side of the Atlantic of late. Of course, the "Fidget" label is a bit dodgey, but this is neither the time nor place to split nomenclatural hairs. Just let it be said that Jesse Rose and his musical co-conspirators have been responsible for crafting some of the most exciting dance tracks of the past year or so.
What makes it all so fun is that Rose & co. are not averse to playing cheeky and loose with House music pro formas. They know how to keep the music dancefloor functional while throwing in all sorts of curveballs -- like punctuating a track with touches of electronic scribble, or aggressively pushing the high-hats to the foreground for the sake of sheer perversity. Better yet is their habit of threading tracks with massive, grime-y bass tones -- low-end wallops that bounce and wobble all over the beat like a big cartoon hippo. (To hear this aesthetic taken to its extreme, check Sinden & The Count of Monte Cristal's recent remix of Pharoahe Monche's "Body Baby.") The end effect is sometimes so ridiculously dope that it's almost comical; as likely to incite laughter as dancing, if not both at the same time.
Jesse Rose will be playing a headlining set at Smart Bar this Friday evening. Hiroki opens. Tickets and admission are $10 before midnight, $12 after. Doors open at 10. 3730 N. Clark.
