Two hours of sleep as I write this. Pretty perma-faded at this point, don’t call the barber. Thursday kicked off with one of the parties I had been anticipating the most before heading to Southby: the #TEXLYFE Teklife + #FEELINGS Records Showcase.
THE NAME OF THE GAME IS FOOTWORK
How to even get to the bottom of the seemingly unlikely bond between the raw and lesser-known genre of dance music called “Footwork,” often “Juke”—stemming from a long lineage of Chicago electronic music to Austin’s love and vitalizing spin on the genre through local Footwork outfits such #FEELINGS Records, Freshmore, 808K, and Freshmoon. This party was a love story where Chicago innovators of the footwork sound joined their Texas footwork counterparts.
Ben Aqua
DJBANGBUS
Kilbourne
This show … meant something to me.
Coming from Austin and having been engaged in one of the first waves of influence of Chicago footwork on Texan electronic music, I felt that this was a party that was always meant to be.
Supraman
While footwork and it’s clubby counterpart Juke may come off to some as a version of ADHD club music – I left #TEXLYFE reaffirmed in my belief that footwork is genuinely one of the most vibrant and versatile sounds in electronic music at the moment (and really, for some time now).
Somehow, a strange beauty arises from the dark, aggressive, and at times even ambient soundscape of a true footwork event spun by the gurus of original Chicago sound.
This was a purist undertaking, and #TEXLYFE had the best in the game to serve.
DJ Spinn
“Who graffitied on our bathroom wall?! I work here and this is not fucking okay. Tell all your punk friends to get the hell of our store with that!”
DATS SUM PRETTY KOOL TAGZ THO LULZ
After I tried to part ways with the TEXLYFE show while feeling like my heart was being torn in half, I happened to wander in the Skreamizm showcase at one of Austin’s most well-renowned electronic venues, Barcelona Austin.
Barcelona with Resident JE of Mad Classy
With Disclosure falling into my hands, one does what one does to Disclosure—gets real sexy and listens to some of the best House in the world at large. The youngins gave Austin what it was begging for as people started stripping down for these baby-faced boys!
Really, words can’t capture that set; what do you even expect of me, dear readers?
You should go on and get yourself over to The Sinclair in Harvard Square Monday March 18th to catch Disclosure yourself. Trust.
Disclosure
Next I headed over to my old personal stomping ground at Chupacabra Cantina – the club I formerly hosted events at myself. Got alotta love for this joint. Ran into Nick Hook on the way!
Nick Hook (left) | Chupacabra (right)
I walked into founding member of the 808K collective, Nikes, warming up the 808K showcase.
808K has been doing incredible things in this town lately y’all. Not only have they truly been on the forefront of Austin’s unique brand and love of footwork, but Nikes and Lefty as 808K have been stepping up to bring some serious electronic music talent to grace Austin ears.
If this compilation is any example, please don’t say I never told ya bout that life
![:)]()
Chupacabra is on full blast all week of SXSW with shows all day and night hosted by Austin’s Peligrosa. MoonDoctor and Fresh Till Def, label-heads of Texas’s Freshmoon records stepped up for 808K, and DJ Spinn closed out the 808K showcase with his patented and undeniable energy, as Spinn, probably faded, lets tracks loose better than most of us on our best day. I hung my head.
Yea, it all gets kinda blurry after that.
I met this girl who made sure to swear to me, “It’s not like I’m an heiress or something,” then proceeded to buy me five drinks while I watched her throw hers away every ten minutes, just to go get another. Dear Heiress girl, you were real #Clutch. Sry I went back for the rest of the Skreamizm showcase instead.
REPORTING LIVE: DAY 3 RECAP
Well, needless to say that after heiress girl tried to black me out and hollowly insisted that I play for her dad’s F1 promotion event … Day 3 had a pretty slow start.
I kicked it off by making my way into an impromptu backyard DJ set, where I decompressed in the sun and a healthy dose of Dancehall.
Sometimes you have to chill at this fest … because otherwise you’ll probably die.
Also, you have to sleep some time, which is really inconvenient. Figure out how to change that for next year SXSW. Come on already.
I HAD A PLAN THOUGH. The Night Slugz/Fade to Mind showcase at the Madison. I already caught Bok Bok and Kingdom on the Surefire boat earlier in the week – but that didn’t matter a bit! These cats always do it fresh, and this showcase was certainly no exception.
I also ran into some Boston/New York family!
Rizzla & MikeQ
“False Witness watchin’ you Boston.”
BOK BOK, NGUZUNGUZU, L-VIS 1990, KINGDOM, MIKEQ, FATIMA AL QADIRI, KELELA, & TOTAL FREEDOM
took on the night under the guise of the gorgeous ambiance of The Madison. How can you even pick favorites out of a line-up like this?@! Yea, everyone at the Madison that night was a winner, no doubt.
Kingdom
TRACKMEET (Dallas) After party
Dallas’ Trackmeet Crew, connoisseurs of Kunq Flavored Dystopian Dark Tech, ran the Night Slugs/ Fade to Mind after party in East Austin. Trackmeet did what they done do best and burned the thirsty house party crowd on some flawless Jersey Club and Tuki reflixs. Love these doods -
DALLAS, KNUCKED UP
More coverage tomorrow when I hit up the other Night Slugs/Fade to Mind showcase with Girl Unit, Rizzla, Massacooramaan, The Claw, Prince William, and JM Anthony round out the NS/F2M SXSW experience. Oh, and did I mention that Night Slugz/Fade to Mind/#FEELINGS 2am-6am afterparty.
Yea, we done faded now…
~ ~ ~ Swelta’s Official SXSW2013 #Tacos Juice Cleanse ~ ~ ~
Total Tacos Eaten: 16 + Migas
READ THE REST OF SWELTA’S #REPORTINGLIVE COVERAGE OF #SXSW HERE!