DIMENSION; photo Killahurtz
Dimension’s only stop on the West Coast for his world tour took place at Catch One on Dec. 15, brought to us by none other than Killahurtz. “Started in 2016, it is a Los Angeles based drum and bass event production company,“ explains founder Sebastian Bordigoni, better known as Seebass.
“We specialize in bringing out some of the best talent there is to offer to produce nighttime lifestyle music events,” Bordigoni said. “Going to events and being a fan of the music for a long time, I saw the need to focus on talent that wasn’t really being represented. I believe we bring out some of the freshest and more cutting edge producers and DJ’s in the scene right now.”
Show Flyer
With Dimension headlining along with support from 1991, Culture Shock, and Seebass, it was bound to be a massive event. Upon arriving, there was a huge line right as the doors opened. Being such a limited engagement, this was expected with people driving and flying from all over to attend. It was also one of the most highly anticipated shows of the last few months.
“The best part is really just being able to see all the fans have such a good time,” Bordigoni relates about putting on shows such as this one. “There is no better feeling than being able to bring together so many people from all over the country to an intimate venue with some of their favorite artists. When you see everyone smiling and they thank you for making everything happen, it is very humbling. At the end of the day, I’m a fan as well. I’m just one of them trying to have a good night out with good friends and make some great memories.”
SEEBASS; photo Killahurtz
Opening the show was Seebass. Using a diverse mix of material to warm the crowd up as everyone trickled in, he deftly established the vibe of the night; one that was full of anxious energy and rabid excitement. Laying down hard and heavy beats while slipping in some unexpectedly smooth tones, it gave us all a sneak preview of what the night would hold. As his set was nearing its close, you could feel the rambunctious energy coming to a full head.
Then 1991 took the stage. At this point, things only became more intense with this enigmatic producer’s set. Known for an extremely diverse style, he effortlessly flowed between a myriad of genres. The new track “Anything 4 U” with Netsky was brought in early in his set, and was an instant crowd favorite. The fluctuation between lush stadium liquid and heavier aggressive vibes really got the crowd going; looking across the room, the dance floor was packed with bodies gyrating in every direction. The warm, heavy bass vibrations enveloped my body and transported me to a realm of pure music. Hearing the buildup of S.P.Y’s “Rock Da House”, it cemented the thought that this night would be seared into my memory. Throughout the set, he dropped breakdowns at just the right time, including the dubplate remix of The Beatles “Come Together” by Urbandawn: when the bass dropped on this tune, the crowd flew into such a frenzy it was nearly as if everyone melded into one person in the process.
The lights went out, the strobes started flashing, and at last Dimension took the stage. The feeling at that moment was of almost pure chaos, where you have no idea what could happen and the ensuing excitement becomes almost unbearable. Opening with his rapid fire mixing style, the crowd exploded to the aural and visual feast before our eyes. Dimension masterfully shot waves of tension and release through the crowd with songs like the pounding banger “Raver”, the grimy textures of “Techno”, and the hypnotic “Generator”: all this kept the crowd raving at full force. With songs such as “UK”, it was almost impossible to tell the vocal track from the audience’s singing. Near the end of his set, Dimension finally dropped his immensely popular track “Desire”: as the atmospherics built up and up and then released, I realized we were all an extension of Dimension’s hands. Through expert use of driving beats and choppy basslines, he could instantly change the tempo and style of the dancing taking place in the audience.
CULTURE SHOCK; photo Killahurtz
Culture Shock closed the night out. I was instantly struck in the gut with some fat blasts of bass. The soundscapes now had a more experimental edge to them than the previous DJ’s, and was the perfect sort of sounds for keeping a party going forever. This was definitely a harder edged and technical based set, with deep rolling basslines paired with experimental soundscapes that resonated with the audience, getting everyone to dance harder than was thought possible. The high energy attack of “Get Physical” vibrated the entire building, reminding everyone this party was far from over. When the bubbly synth blasts of “Bunker” blared through the speakers, the anxious energy of everyone waiting for the vocal refrain (and the drop which follows it) was almost thick enough to cut with a knife. Never once in the Culture Shock set did the energy let up, employing the consistent vibe and otherworldly tones that has led to the popularity of current electronic music.
Killahurtz managed to throw an amazingly successful show, bringing some amazing talent to L.A. It was a night full of intense raving, demonstrating the power and diversity in modern music; and will live in everyone’s memory for quite some time.