BBB And CAMP TRIP Pave The Way Forward

“Big Booty Bass (BBB) has always been a unique bass music movement, and now with the record label side of things we strive to push the limits of quality music, from experimental to straight ‘for the dance floor’ music,” states BBB co-founder Rene Moreno of Kronology/Wires.

Established in 2010 with a well-known reputation for throwing some of the best parties around, BBB did just that with their BBB X CAMP TRIP take over event. Along with BBB, CAMP TRIP is a bass music events group who have established themselves through their yearly camp trip event, as well as a unique approach to curating artist lineups.

“Our attitudes towards music reflects other aspects of our lives,” describes CAMP TRIP co-founder Devan Mardyks. “It’s an insight into how we view our personal worlds. In today’s echo chamber of tribalism, music suffers from the same downfall as politics. We try to bring different musical styles when we come out and play. That’s what BBB and CAMP TRIP are all about. We want to unite the tribes.”

Upon arriving at the event, my ears were instantly filled with the deep sub bass and fragmented sounds pouring from the speakers. Everything was well balanced despite the challenges of the environment, and from the get-go people were dancing like there was no tomorrow. There were two rooms: an outside room filled with the bpm’s of house, breaks, and techno while the beats of Drum and Bass were housed inside.

Opening the night in the inside room was Reft; using a choice selection of heavy driving tunes, he whipped the dancefloor into a frenzy. In the outside room, Zelduh delivered steady pounding basslines that got people pulsating instantaneously. Following Zelduh came the deep breaks of Chrome Mami. Her builds climbed slowly and methodically, releasing the peaks with deep drops that had a serious thrill factor. Bouncing back inside, I was greeted by the debut set of Wires. A BBB collab between Kronology and Famburglar, the experimental sound explorations coupled with subterranean beat warping’s riled up the crowd and kickstarted the vibe of the party into high gear.

Midnight hit, and Keekz was on deck. Delivering addictive dancefloor beats that morphed into soulful soundscapes, it became obvious the party had hit its stride. A feeling came over me that everyone was united by the music and anything had become possible. Trekking back outside, I arrived just in time to catch Hardknocker dominating the dance floor. The throbbing bass of the beats was the sound of pure fun, with nearly every head and/or body grooving along.

There was no time to rest as Shleebs took over and started his set with C.R.E.A.M. by the Wu Tang Clan (in honor of the anniversary of the album it hails from). A sure sign we were in store for some eclectic selections, I soon found myself in a sort of “dance trance,” with one single thought roaming through my head: “This vibe I could dance for days to.” Ripping myself out of the trance however, it was time to race inside to catch the rolling basslines of DIP Vertigo. The audience was getting more and more wild as his set continued, with massive cheers as he dropped tracks with sheer precision.

L.A. legend R.A.W./6Blocc continued fueling the energy; demonstrating his prowess in laying down the jungle stylings which make him a crowd favorite, he also sneaked in plenty of surprises for even longtime fans. Continuing the pinball game, I jetted outside for the finely crafted beats of Origin. Expect the unexpected defined this set. There was a moment of pure magic when Origin found a hypnotic angular rhythm that perfectly suited the vocal stylings of Pookie P and MC Dell. As Origin’s set ended, Ekin swooped in with his stylings. Evoking a grimy dubby feel at one point in his set, it was the perfect reminder this party was still in full swing.

Amazed by the true diversity of talent present, it begs the question how did this event happen in the first place?

“In regard to us working with CAMP TRIP on the takeover, they’ve always supported our artists and team with their events; and we felt the timing was finally right to give back and do the same for them,” explains BBB co-founder Gabriel Barrere, better known to most as Gabriel Habit. “We love what Keekz and the gang have built, and their ethos is very similar to our own,” “Keekz helped choose a few key performers from their team, and we booked the rest of the lineup with the overall flow of the night in mind.”

Back inside, APX1 came hard and heavy. The dancefloor was a sea of pulsing bodies, moving in unison to the growling vibrations and crackling energy pouring from this seminal DJ. After this heated set came the twisting sounds of Johnny V. His uncanny ability for flowing from staggered halftime beats into heavy rollers created explosions in the body and mind, inspiring a new wave of ecstatic dancing. Yet again moving outdoors, Emotional Noise brought their tech house swagger replete with deep melodic grooves.

Mark Lizaola closed out the outside room. Delivering steady hypnotic vibrations of techno for all to enjoy, the patrons kept the momentum even after the music stopped. Meanwhile, Junglist Platoon legend Arkho used classic jungle breaks to satisfy the lust for dance everyone still had inside. Those remaining even got a surprise: a short mix from Gabriel Habit, who threw down heavy hitting tracks for all those not ready for the party to end.

An epic night featuring a diverse cast of DJs. It possessed all the elements of a massive warehouse party while bringing the inclusive communal vibe of an outdoor rave to the mix. Parties such as these are rare, and there was a sensation of something unique occurring.

“For the past decade of my life in Los Angeles, I’ve gone to a lot of great events, lots of big acts, UK headliners, etc.…and those shows were awesome,” notes CAMP TRIP co-founder Keekz. “But last night, we had a full lineup of nothing but local talent, and we were able to pack the venue from start to finish.

“There’s something special happening right now in Los Angeles…crews are coming together, walls are being knocked down, and gaps are getting bridges. It won’t be long until our community creates a launchpad, to propel our local artists into global recognition, and finally bring our scene to a respectable level, on par with our reflections across the pond.”