musicaorganica

Cracker Strikes Again Yes, the rumors are true, I have closed down yet another party. This time it was the New Year’s Eve Recessionary Ball at Centro-Fly, with Low End Specialists, Jimmy Van M and Chris Fortier, and oh what a ‘Ball’ it was! The word that springs immediately to mind is FIERCE. The overall sense at Centro-Fly was one of celebration and comradery. It was crowded, but no one seemed to care. Low End Specialists got things started nicely, pumping some nice happy housey tunes out to the packed dancefloor, and pausing only long enough for the obligatory countdown up to midnight. “Happy New Yearâ€, everyone. Then right back into it with the first song of 2003, Layo and Bushwacka’s ‘Love Story’. They laid down some nice solid club classics, such as ‘Roaches’ and ‘Cameras ready prepare to flash’ and Sander Kleinenberg’s ‘My Lexicon’ (which earned them points with me) and got the crowd nicely warmed up for what was to come. (A tidbit to file away for future reference: Low End Specialists are the Thursday night residents at Centro-Fly, so if you’re ever in the mood to shake you groove thing on a Thursday…you see where I’m going with this.) Jimmy Van M. came on right around 2am and got the main event under way in his inimitable fashion. He really has such a talent for setting a mood and building the energy in a room, and he does it so sweetly and gently, never jarring, always giving just the right amount at just the right moment. He pretty much worked the crowd into a frenzy in the first hour or so and then turned things over to Chris Fortier. Jimmy set the mood and then Chris stepped in and ran with it. He cranked things up a notch and kicked our butts all over the dancefloor for the next hour and a half or so, before handing the reins back over to Jimmy, who kept up the blistering pace and amply demonstrated that he is a HELL of a lot more then the guy who opens for Sasha and Digweed. Anyone who thinks of him as that ought to be ashamed of themselves. Chris took over again about two hours later (I think) and took us through right to the end, which came shortly after 9am. There were about 20 people left, and I was sure the night was coming to an end, but every time I thought Chris was winding down he’d bring it on again! Sexy beat after sexy beat, they kept coming, and although if I stopped dancing my legs would shake like the Coney Island Cyclone, still I was unable to tear myself away! Good thing I hung around too, cuz just before 9am Chris played, as he promised me he would, the Lexicon Avenue remix of Depeche Mode’s ‘Only When I Lose Myself’. And the crowd (ok, crowd may be stretching it a bit) loved it, because it is a really freakin’ good song (those of you who were in attendance at Digweed and Jimmy Thanksgiving Eve may recall that Diggers opened his set with this track). Another twenty minutes or so and it was all over. 2003 had been rung in and I got my coat and headed for home. It was raining, but that couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. 2002 was such a great year, and with a welcome-in like the one given by Chris and Jimmy for 2003, I think it’s going to be even better. The cool thing about this pair playing together is that not only are they both kick-ass DJs, they are also friends, co-founders of the Balance Promote Record Pool, champions of underground dance music, both were born and bred right here in the good ol’ USA, and both are members of the elite group who have released mix CDs on John Digweed’s Bedrock Label. To hear them play together you would think it was something they do every day. While each maintaining their individual styles and sounds they manage to compliment each other perfectly so that even switching back and forth as they did the night felt like a continuous journey. They served up an energetic mix of progressive house, hard house and deep trance, and according to Chris himself both had a great time doing it. He hopes that they’ll be back to do it again early this year (meaning 2003). A special thanks to our DJs for doing what they do so well and for sharing it with us, and also to my friends Pierre and Greg who were my escorts to the ‘Ball’ and who are the best dance partners a girl could ask for. And Bert, as with all of the best parties, this one could have been better in only one way, and that is if you had been there to share it with me. Stay tuned in the weeks to come when MusicaOrganica picks the brains of some of the talent you keep hearing so much about…coming soon, conversations with Chris Fortier, Steve Porter, Steve Lawler…and who know who else! This is Kelley ‘Cracker’ McD., signing off. Happy New Year.