A Brief review of the 2nd Annual Decibel Festival in Seattle... see http://www.decibelfestival.com/2005/
Overall, it was really great. The folks that put this on were friendly and helpful, very organized and made it really worth going to especially for folx on the West coast. I was really inpressed cause the scene there seems alot smaller and alot tighter than here in the Bay area and it seem like a bunch of different people really came together to make it happen, without corporate sponsors/with a budget that seemed like it was mostly put into bringing great artists. I missed the clinics and alot of stuff, cause I spent a lot of time walking around the city and spent alot of the weekend both tired and wired on coffee. What I did go to, was very good with great sound and interesting line ups. Friday night...Shitkatapult vs. Detroit showcase...Derek Michael (detroit)and Jerry abstract (seattle) were the highlights, great live sets that were solid idm techno. Saturday night...Mutek showcase... Bruno Pronsato (seattle) was really good minimal techno was excellent use of cut up vocals and just had a really good funky sound that was fun to dance to. Then DEADBEAT came on and stole the show, he is one of my favorite live acts right now. He mixed Dub, dnb, minimal techno, weird undefined sound structures with great melodies and two tons of bass, check him out at all costs. Akufen was eh, ok some good moments but too house cluby for my taste, but other folks seemed to love it. A little disappointing, he was better the last time I saw him in the detroit. Sunday Day...Kranky Vs. Ghostly ambient showcase... located in a college theater, just music and video and space out time. LOSCIL (bc canada) was interesting very melodic sort of like burger inc light, good stuff for sleeping to. AEROC (barcelona) geoff whites ambi hip hop project was so funky and crazy interesting i couldn't sit still, it could have worked at one of the dance events as well, he is really good. PAN AMERICAN (richmond, va) closed with a stunning set of half live/have electronic jams that reaked in melancoly watery dreams, they actually reminded me of zoviet france meets tarintel. Great thoughtful stuff. Sunday night...Headfunk showcase...Tipper, I never actually need to hear him again, seriously never ever. People seemed to love him, but me no way, so 2001. Anyway I was spend and though Thomas Feldman seemed like he was having a good set minimal house tech, I had enough that night. That is why I am not a music journalist. The festival had some nice outdoor video instalations and I hear a number of djs around and about at bars and in the park in front of the theater and I went to one afterhours party. There was some interesting music from misc. seattle djs, but I heard some pretty uninspired sets, but it was nice that a lot of folx got to play and felt like a community effort. Anyway that is the long review. cheers. tomkat
