Summertime for the Santa Babylon clique has been rolling on by like clouds in the sky. June gave us one of our best shows to date. Yet difficult to compare them... Jungle legend APX-1's special dubstep set was as outstanding as it was exclusive. Especially, as he nonchalantly relayed, "I've only been spinning it for a few months." Although I've only been playing my part behind the decks since early 2010, I had never seen someone mix so fast. As a nascent emcee in this shit, I must say... Damn, that was hard to keep up with. Along the lines of: 16 bars, drop new track, 16--drop, 16--drop. Bewilderment and excitement flowing through my blood, I couldn't stop admiring the skill. Then I'd remember I'm supposed to be hosting. Inevitably, my line of sight would drift from the crowd back to the turntables, as a moth to a light. He very early on switched the house Serato vinyls with his own, functionally identical pair. Expressing that he just had to. I understood, as he quickly tossed aside the house Serato's bright pink vinyl, and got back to the mastery.
(APX-1 merking the Santa Babylon Soundsystem. City included) © Spencer Ramsey
On top of APX-1's mixment, there were loads of well-hard dubs in which I wasn't familiar. A few, which I would highly recommend, came from LA's Belgian badboy KNORSQ. Hosting a weekly radio show called BOMBADUB Fridays on sub.fm, where you can catch AKAIDER -- LIVE, TONIGHT at 8-10 pm pst. KNORSQ's hip-hop infused bass-rated innovations are becoming a staple within California. We also happened to host him in Santa Babylon last April in a knock-out party that would have made you think Coachella was canceled that weekend.
Our other guest selectah of June, local DJ Pursuade, destroyed it. With an almost beyond-natural ear for music (I've heard him do-up a variety of types) , man once again catered extremely well to the Santa Barbara niche in which he is becoming well established. Only recently has he begun to shift his interest moar to the darker side of electronic dance via dubstep. Looking FWD>> to the future collaborations! Our boy ERS-1, was celebrating both he and his newly-wedded wife's B-day. Big up, Geminis. So we made sure to make it a party... as usual. Which actually happens to be our standard platform and business model. Gotta have fun, get down, and get the fuck out (1:30 on the dot, or Babylon get the axe by the babylon, if ya get me). And we always do it with SB style -- it is after all, a proper bass party. All we need is moar bass. And we always got it... but that doesn't mean we can't always need moar, always. Right? Never.
(Left, KNORSQ @ Santa Babylon 4.16.2010) © Spencer Ramsey
(Right, DJ Pursuade w/ MC Hoodzpah 6.18.10) © Spencer Ramsey
Anyways, its about that time of month again. Santa Babylon will be turning up the summer heat Friday, 7.16.2010 @ Statemynt, State Street. This round presenting Los Angeles' own Dumbsteppaz. Originally dubbing their name -- as I was told -- for hating on the still-burgeoning scene awhile back. But like the rest of the lot: everyone comes around. As a dubstep artist, I admit, -- it took me a good minute to get into it. Luckily, living in the UK at the time undoubtedly expedited that listening pleasure. I was recently shown their remix of Die Antwoord, the S.A. trio we featured in April. Take a listen to the remix, below.
Die Antwoord - Enter The Ninja (Dumbsteppaz Remix) by Dumbsteppaz
Dumbsteppaz will also be featured along side MC Werd. The Los Angeles area emcee has been developed in the jungle/DnB and hip-hop underground for years. Naturally, dubstep was no long ting. Werd has rocked alongside world class DJs at classic LA events such as Ghettolife and Tonz of Drumz', "I ♥ LA". He also runs his own weekly event UPGRADE, every Wednesday in Costa Mesa, OC. Santa Babylon played there in April and it was off the hook. I highly recommend it for the OC bass kids. Try and pre-party a bit at Taco Mesa near-by, cool spot... but avoid unintentionally whistling at over-guarding women like Step Correct's true-bro faux-pas.
(MC Werd gonna light up the set @ Santa Babylon 6.17.10) © Spencer Ramsey
^Hoodzpah better take notes...
Definitely look FWD>> to this Los Angeles link-up. Let's be sure to give them a great reception by showing SB how we get down. That said, there will be plenty of the locals steppas -- who undoubtedly make or break a party -- out in full force. It's a strange thing to watch how the SB scene -- though equally strong at either time -- is rapidly altered by the dismissal of university classes for the summer. Not better necessarily, just different. I think that's a part of why the last APX-1 show in May, was held in such high-regard. I was just tripping on different vibes.
Having now preambled the local tip, I'm pleased to let you know next Friday's show will also bring you 805 DubCorps crew member and mutual supporter, Seppuku. The collective, front-manned by man, have a growing dubstep night at midtown's Creekside Bar and Grill. Although the venue and location is a bit different, its also ironically what makes it. First off, it's on a Thursday, one of youth-ridden Santa Barbara's finest nights. They also make it an 18+ event, which is something Santa Babylon, and the city itself, has been lacking since our arrival on State St. ended our back alley under-21 action. We miss all you on that Statemynt dance floor... but most your days are coming! Big upz, Dub Corps for feeding the need. Other welcoming points of contrast between D.C. is their mash-ups off all genres of bass. The crew plays rather obscure and extremely solid sets of hardcore, jungle, D&B, bassline, 2-step, grime, etc. I believe this gives the rapidly exploding, and thus, commercializing aspect of the dubstep scene, a new set of ears to hear other forms of underground music that they normally wouldn't surrender to. Once again, big upz, brochachos. Oh yeah, they also got BBQ till 11PM! Dub Corps keeps it moving for the blazers.
(Dub Corps's Sepukku performing at a S. American prison -- Heavy).
^R.E. Union will soon post some interesting input about this tour from Sepukku.
July 16th's event will also be having the usual Babylon soundbwoys pulling bro out shenanigans between blasted airhorns and tapping bottles; which by the way, should better be rationed out this time around before we get too low -- physically, and bottle-wise. Airhorns too. Hectic. Anyway... this mid-summer's night is gonna be the kicks! So bring your best pair and get ready to dance the night away with bass-pummeling shockwaves rinsing out the night.
On another note, Santa Babylon will be playing EOS night club's "Friday Night Cover," TONIGHT, July, 9th. I hear 9FeetOfSmoke's rumored to drop some rare house tunes for the EOS crowd. Uh oh. If your prone to face melting, be sure to wear your sunglasses tonight. Too many lasers. Not sure how the emcee situation will work out for this venue. Although it is a part of our show, I'll be stoked to see you there regardless... behind the decks or on the dance floor! Especially my boy Chris G. celebrating his born day -- mesa loc style. We will be in the newly established Goddess Lounge. DJ Wicked will be in his zone on the adjacent stage. Thanks to EOS night Club and Lounge for the wicked opportunity. You can also catch SB's Underground Souls collective now on the regular at the same venue. Next US-affiliated night will showcase Niko, bringing the styles with an extended 2.5 hour set, alongside the usual suspects on July, 23rd @ EOS.
Participating in a few undergrounds within the 805 for the remainder of July, Santa Babylon does have some wicked surprises coming your way for the rest of summer and into the year. Including a couple of our artists' individual production releases, massive headliners, bigger events, flavorful merchandise and MOAR BASS. So stay chooned. Check out Santa Babylon Group on Facebook for the latest updates
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