May 1, 2009 (Issue #0) – By Joey Santos
As El Paso continues to enjoy a steady stream of electronic dance music events due to no shortage of promoters and a hungry new generation of revelers, many are looking for alternatives to the sounds currently dominating the scene. House, Electro House, Minimal, Progressive House and Trance are the choice genres for most looking to dance away their school and work-related stress.
Drum ‘n’ Bass/Jungle music is rarely considered and is often regarded as being too aggressive and fast-paced to be danceable. DnB experts contend that this is due to both underexposure and overexposure to the same styles of the music, although it has evolved over time to take in influences from a wide array of genres. Due to DnB’s BPM (beats per minute) range, its time signatures, increasingly available time stretching technology, and good old-fashioned creativity, producers/remixers are pushing the envelope and making some amazing music. Some of the area’s longtime broken-beat practitioners are still deeply immersed in the sounds and trying to do something to correct this imbalance. Djs such as local favorite, Sol-B (of Loaded Wednesday fame) and Blackmarket resident Systemaddict, help to lead the charge with a new night centered around bangin’ beats and sub-low frequencies. The pilot episode, dubbed “I Love Bass,” was held on February 13th at Bombardiers, a little-known spot among the dance music crowd. Equipped with ample space in which to let loose and an energetic, enthusiastic staff, Bombardiers seems an ideal home for what is now a monthly showcase of beats, bass, and everything in between.
“I Love Bass” featured the talents of Skrap, Derek AM, Sol-B, Systemaddict and DLS a.k.a. Joey Santos playing back to back all night to an up-for-anything crowd who responded well to the full spectrum of DnB on display. By press time, Homebass will be two episodes deep with plans to expand the palette to include a very marginal amount of House and Dubstep. So, open your mind and ears a bit wider, come out, and experience a whole other world of sound and motion.
Bombardiers, at 109 E. Castellano Go Back…
