Scion A/V Trouble & Bass CD Release Party with Drop the Lime, AC Slater, Star Eyes and The Captain
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Bella Rose, Miami Beach
Better than: Partying in a sauna.
Electro-house is dead and New York-based label Trouble & Bass is making sure its never resurrected. And I don't mean that as an insult. The internet-produced genre has been on the decline since last year thanks to Ed Banger being virtually nonexistent, labels like Kitsune and Institubes diversifying their sound and Dim Mak being the biggest joke since, well -- it's always been a joke. Trouble & Bass just so happens to be the next logical step as to where the underground indie-dance scene is headed.
When I first heard Drop the Lime at Scion's WMC 2008 party at the Raleigh, he was an virtual unknown -- at least in Miami. Yet, he easily stood out from the pack of DJs who I can barely recall. His sound was based more on the drum-and-bass sounds that had defined his career early on. While drum-and-bass DJs turning into electro-house superstars was nothing new (see L.A. Riots, Kill the Noise), he didn't seem to turn his back on his drum-and-bass past.
I met up with Drop the Lime an hour before the doors opened Sunday night at Bella Rose. Seated on a couch, surrounded by his Trouble & Bass family, he looks like someone who probably wouldn't shut up about themselves. So it's rather surprising the answer he gives me when I ask him whether he's seen his notoriety increase, considering that this past WMC he was virtually everywhere. "I've noticed I've been really busy," he says while flashing his signature golden canine tooth. "Feels good."
So what's exactly does he hope to accomplish with the Trouble & Bass compilation? He puts it simply as a way to showcase the talent on the label's roster. "We are all doing something different, but we all have the same influences and the same kind of attitude about our music."
He's right. When they take over the decks at Bella Rose, it's a quick relay race of DJs anchored by Drop The Lime. One of takes over for another, each one has his or her signature style. The Captain starts out with the most easily digestible set of the night that sets the pace for everyone else. Star Eyes, a female DJ with actual, you know, talent, puts the night into overdrive, while AC Slater brings in the bass as the heat starts to quickly rise inside the venue. By the time Drop the Lime takes over, even standing still inside Bella Rose causes instant perspiration, which is uncertain if its because Drop the Lime's dirty, bass-heavy set or if its just that damn hot.
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: It's hard not to like Drop the Lime; the guy is so approachable and polite, which isn't always the case with DJs these days.
Random Detail: Back in my MiamiNights days, I declared Drop the Lime the Most Underrated act of WMC 2008.
By The Way: Scion has these free parties often in Miami, either through Scion A/V or its House Party series.
