Siriusmo opened the night, much to everyone’s surprise, given that he is one of the better-known artists on the bill. Signed to Monkeytown Records, a label of Modeselektor’s creation, this was his first tour outside of Europe, and his stage fright almost got the best of him. His DJ set went over quite well, though, but was nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary.
Local boy Jacques Green’s set was unexpectedly entirely live, complete with keyboards and a buddy to help him out. The sound was far more ambient and atmospheric than his regular hip-hop inspired tracks, but impressive nonetheless and showcased his versatility. His set was increasingly intense and went out with a bang. Keep an eye out for this one.
FaltyDL’s set was horribly inconsistent with Jacques Green’s, poorly transitioning into a very heavy set, bordering on unpleasant, of what sound like dub-step minus the womping, if that makes any sense. I wasn’t feeling it after Jacques Green’s laid-back sound, so I disappointedly ran off to catch Arthur Oskan.
First of all, who knew there was an “upstairs” at Metropolis? It’s big enough to hold about 100 people and feels a bit like the waiting room to get into Hell (this is a compliment). Second of all, the vibe was far more pleasant and loungy. People seemed far more relaxed and jolly up there, dancing and talking comfortably. It felt like a really good party, not a $30 ticket.
Rushing back down just in time for Anstam’s set, I was blown away. Quite literally. The forcefulness of his set was astounding, and though not everyone’s cup of tea, he got me dancing and ready for the headliners. Hailing from Berlin, Anstam performed at the request of Modeselektor themselves, and delivered a dark, bass-heavy set that set the tone right for Modeselektor.
Modeselektor picked the baton right up and dove into a very playful set, clearly enjoying themselves. Much like Anstam, the bass was so heavy it felt like a dinosaur was approaching – but electro ain’t electro if you can’t feel all the good vibrations going through you. Their sound was tight and left everyone satisfied and asking for more. But alas, 3am rolled around, and my danced-out ass had had enough. If you paid did shell out the 30 bones for this show, you definitely got your money’s worth.
By Nairi K.
