If you want to know what a Boeing 747 flying roughly 10 feet over your head would sound like with a beat behind it, boy have I got something for you. Last Friday I was fortunate enough to take my budding ears to the low-end mega meal that is Skrillex.
To say that my aural pallat was full is kind of like saying Ghandi has a reputation of being somewhat of a nice guy. The entire show rocked some of the most ridiculous sub-bass ever and shook the venue like the New Madrid fault was going off.
After I had arrived and barely made it past the three-tier entrance security, which was as redundant as it was repetitive, I walked into Minglewood’s main concert room to the booming sounds of Two Fresh. Although I’ve read their name here and there, I’d never really checked out the electronic trio. Their sound catered to gigantic vibes that acted as super bouncy balls ricocheting off the walls in a mad funhouse built by the frequencies that live in the 20-100 Hz range.
Before too long I noticed that my perception of the horizon was being rhythmically altered and realized that before I’d even had a chance to plant my feet to soak up some tunes, my head was nodding to the beat uncontrollably. The pit of the crowd caught the circular groove, but the outskirts of the mayhem were less excited, which kinda bummed me as their style was hitting me hard without remorse.
Neo-Dub infused with hip-hop exploded out of the PA in a manner usually reserved for MCs who demand the command of a crowd’s attention. Sherwyn and Kendrick Nicholls steered the ship behind the DJ booth and came across more as musicians than the DJs of yore by tweaking parameters in damn near every phrase of every track. Drummer Colby Buckler kept up the beat and added crisp hi-hat and snare work to the super thick sub-bass the trio had tastefully mixed. Their style was highly addictive, and they were getting so down to their own tunes, it was a blast.
Of all three acts that graced the stage, I’d heard the most hype for 12th planet. By the 15th second or so of his first beat, I can see why. This guy is ½ DJ and ½ hype man. Blasting morale and signaling drops from the almighty power of his mic, the man had the presence of Christmas minus the crap socks your grandma gets you. The crowd was his play-doh, and he commanded them with vigor.
It’s easiest to say that he’s a “bass” DJ that focuses on the wobbles and the subs no matter what “genre” each track might fall into. This dude effortlessly switched between D’n’B, dubstep, house, and hip-hop remixes with a seemingly extra-attentive ear towards the entire arrangement and its energetic structure. After dropping some heat and turning people into dubzombies for a good forty-five minutes, Mr. Planet stepped down for the headline.
So, earlier on I referred to Skrillex’s bass to resemble that of a low flying massive plan. That was incorrect. The bass involved in Skrillex’s set is much more similar to being in the middle of a massive hurricane after an atom bomb went off in close vacinity and god forgot to turn of the “thunder” button. His mix is more lowdown than getting with your besty’s girl while he’s he’s in the next room over, and they’ve just exchanged their first “I love you’s.”
His first drop shook the stage, the crowd, the bar, the rails on the exterior of the venue, and I think a little bit of St. Louis, only 280 miles away. The lowend sat and stayed through all his drops, which were then segmented by breaks (and I do mean relief-esque breaks) of high-end chord progression and solo vox samples. For those in the crowd who weren’t tripping their balls off (well, on second thought, probably those people as well), the vox samples were sung-a-long to and added a sense of unity that one would presume is usually absent from mostly instrumental concerts. Rocking his own tracks and those of other dubstep gods (like my personal fav excision), he made the ground shake and quake at the will of his controller.
Oh, and then there was the light show. Behind Skrill were two large white cylindrical structures that stood insignificant at first—that was, until the lazers hit them. Projected visual bliss hit the pale mountain-esque set pieces with pinpoint precision, giving specific detail to every line cast upon its canvas. At one point, A skeletal Skrillex was projecting behind the main man and followed every move of the dubstep dominator. In all honesty, the visuals were pretty radical and earned the term “memorable” to help round out a killer live performance.
To clarify, Skrillex was overtly over-the-top, and only in the best of ways. If you’re looking to see a “show,” he seems to be the man of the hour. His heavy bass and grandiose light show make for an evening you won’t soon forget. 12th Planet rocked face and made sure everybody was bouncing. His set list was a stronghold over the current bass craze, and his hype ability was hyper-effective. But if you’re asking me what was the highlight, I’d say without a doubt it was Two Fresh dropping the hell out of some of the tastiest hip-hop instrumentals I’ve heard in at least a minute.
Check out Skrillex’s website for upcoming projects and tour info and visit 12th planet’s website for upcoming shows. But seriously, DEFINITELY put some time into looking into Two Fresh, it’ll be well worth it.
