Bashmore near the end of his set.
Lights down Low brought the heat on a freezing night to Cell Space in the Mission, SF with Julio Bashmore, Richie Panic & Sleazemore, Matrixxman, & A-Plus.
The party kicked off at 10 with A-Plus playing the massive space covered with tons of posters that the LDL crew set up, bringing a solid 90s rave feel to the night. Early arrivers traveled between the main dance floor, a lofty hanger first filled with the opening set’s beats, to the back smoking area (one of the most interesting parts of the space), which housed partiers in a machine shop.
A-Plus was using a midi controller to drop some tracks all over the BPM spectrum which isn’t seen super often from DJs, but when done right can deliver creative sets that can jump from genre to genre. He dropped some tracks that brought in some dub, while others were almost at a hip hop level.
Matrixxman was up next rocking the full Bulls gear and delivering some real future shit mixed with true Chicago house and a little disco to keep it interesting. It was a varied set with influences from all over the place and it had the crowd moving. He dropped Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” near the end of the set to a massive reaction to the growing crowd.
Matrixxman in Repose
Side bar: I didn’t know much at all about Matrixxman, so I decided to look him and his crew up and learned a hell of a lot more about the 3-D hentai wonder that is Matrixxman. I recommend looking that crew up ASAP. He dropped possibly the best quote of all time in an interview with SF Bay Guardian online when he discussed his creative process as “Usually incense or candles are lit initially. An ambiance is created. Auras are projected and a distinct presence is asserted. Prior to actually making any music, I like to visualize myself styling on hoes viciously, and that tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.” Seriously, go ahead read that again. Brilliant. Definitely keep an ear to the ground for this guy.
Back to the show: Sleazemore and Richie Panic jumped on the decks next and warmed us up further, both with sound and bodies as the space became pretty packed. Both of them took turns on the decks showing off their deep love and knowledge of house and bass. Deep cuts mixed and standards kept people dancing and the drinks flowing. Their set really got the crowd into a frenzy, so by the time Julio came on people were tearing the place up.
Julio took the stage to a huge roar around the witching hour (that perfect point, you’re a little sweaty and a little drunk, and a lot hungry for more music) around 1, and he started off with some heavy bass and original tracks of his own. I heard “Husk”, “Battle for Middle You”, and a loop of “Erotic City” all cut from different points that he orchestrated from the glowing light pod stage, littered with water bottles, brought in for the event by Lights Down Low. Framed by two stacks of giant speakers, you forgot that this was a warehouse and not a full time club. Props to Lights Down Low for doing a great job of transforming the space into what the event deserved.
The speakers were big and raw, which gave the party a definite underground vibe. A minor technical difficulty cut the bass, but when it came back online, it slapped the crowd across the face. A huge cheer erupted, and everyone just lost it. That spontaneous energy was rampant and sums up the overall party vibe well. Julio played ’til late, with “Au Seve” drawing a huge response.
Lights Down Low hit it out of the park as usual, with Julio Bashmore bringing in a near perfect set in a perfect atmosphere. Matrixxman though was my personal dark horse favorite, and I’ll definitely be on the lookout to see him again.
Lights Down Low Wants You To Jack Your Body
Crowd Note: This guy looked like a trucker and/or Dog The Bounty Hunter.
USA jacket and blue tooth on in the show. Boss.
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