Cosmic Twins
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Eden Terrace Garden at Nocturnal, Miami
Better than: anything Miami has had the privilege to hear since WMC and far more epic than anything we heard then.
The Review: Amid concerns of rain over the weekend and fears that it might hamper Cosmic Twins, the preeminent techno show of the summer, Saturday turned out to be an ideal night for clubbing under the stars at Nocturnal's Eden Terrace Garden. Pornograph Events had taken measures to ensure the show would go on even if it meant moving inside, but a gig of this caliber merits optimal open air weather, so the gods conspired to make sure we had a beautiful star-studded sky. By midnight the first bodies were in orbit across the floor as DJ Nova set the mood with a supremely funked-up and inspired selection of minimal bangers, in anticipation of Derrick May and François K.
I have to give mad props to VJ Foresight
a.k.a. Enrique Huerta, who some of you may know from his work alongside
Infected Mushroom at the former Pawn Shop and the WMC 2009 VJ
Challenge. The man put on some of the most spectacularly trippy visuals
I had yet to see, including bizarre footage of demonic stuffed animals
breakdancing and a man attacked by psychedelic lasers. A gratuitous
mind-blowing spectacle that made me feel sorry for the people who
wasted money on drugs --it was that amazing!
While the turn out
wasn't as great as it rightfully should have been by the time the
Cosmic Twins came on, the crowd made up for it with their boundless
energy and enthusiasm on the floor. What can I say about Derrick May
and François K that could aptly describe the heart-pounding,
gut-rattling, and blood-surging physical experience of their
collaborative live sound? The bass was like a living thing undulating
relentlessly across every layer of skin, the otherworldy higher
frequencies taking mind out of body, above and beyond the dancefloor.
The
"cosmic" element to these "twins" proved to be the sheer sonic synergy
between K's penchant for spacey atmospheres and dubby effects and May's
command of intricate rhythm -- a two-headed techno monster encompassing
the full sound spectrum. By all accounts an edifying musical
experience.
A shout-out to DJ Nova and Pornograph Events for this stellar booking and here's hoping there are more like it to come!
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: Derrick May and François K, together? C'mon!
Random Detail:
Alot of Miami's local DJs were spotted among the fans in the crowd that
night, attesting to the significance of this show to those in the
know.
By the Way: Is it me, or is this just a great
time for quality techno in Miami? Looks like it has certainly taken
over downtown, even at Nocturnal and Space which used to cater to the
worst commercial dance shit. Let's hope it lasts!