Post by Zapp Brannigan on Mar 1, 2011 2:26:12 GMT -5
lifessweetbreath.com/features/8-alexis-taylor-dj-set-in-brooklyn.html
Upon first hearing that Alexis Taylor- mastermind behind electropop heavyweights Hot Chip- was going to DJ a live set at the Brooklyn Bowl I didn’t really know what to think. Obviously, immediate jubilation spread throughout the community of local Hot Chip fans in the area, but would Alexis play Hot Chip music? Would he throw in some LCD? Or was he here to show the full extent of his undeniable talent? These and other questions were answered Saturday night as I made my way through the bitter cold, waited on what seemed like a never-ending line, and eventually entered into what Rolling Stone recently deemed, “the coolest place on earth no one knows about.” This of course being the Brooklyn Bowl located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the Mecca for inner-city hipsters who claim to know a thing or two about current en vogue trends and music. So when it was announced that possibly the coolest cat of them all, Alexis Taylor, would grant us his presence for an evening, it wasn’t just the hipsters who were ready for the floor. Anyone hoping to shed some calories for a night and forget the troubles of the week was welcomed into what was sure to be an all night dancing affair.
The environment of the club was electrifying. Despite the freezing temperatures and exceptionally high winds, people had come from all over New York to catch Taylor dish out some funky beats like no one else can. Some of his more devoted fans had made the cross continental trip from England to make him feel more at home, while others had just hours before departed from Los Angeles to catch the front man from Hot Chip. The moment you arrived you knew you were somewhere special. Places like this just don’t exist anymore. To your right was a 12 lane bowling alley, behind you was a colossal sized bar, if you ventured out past the bar you found yourself in the middle of a lounge dedicated to those who may have danced a little too hard and needed a break. All the while in the center of this one of a kind venue was a dance floor that would make any disco-loving man or woman nostalgic over an era that was seemingly too good to let go. For those too young to remember this era or for those whose parents spent countless hours trying to explain the uncanny “cool” of the 70’s to disinterested ears, this was their chance to experience a disco-dance party, hosted by none other than one of the world’s most gifted musicians, in a place that beckoned you to get off your seat and shake it like no one was watching.
By the time Alexis was nearing his introduction onto stage the place had moved on from the initial, premature stages of a dance party. No longer was the bar the place to be. You finished your last drink, you tied your shoes tight, made sure all of your essential possessions were in safe keeping, and finally you made your way onto the floor and waited for the evening to really begin. Fortunately, I was able to make my way all the way up, standing no more than a foot away from the stage as Alexis made his Brooklyn debut. Alexis was relentlessly receiving phones from the eager audience with brief text messages of songs they hoped to hear him play. Debonair as usual, Alexis embraced each one, smiling to the crowd as if we were all his childhood friends. The man could do no wrong. As we waited with anticipation for the coming of his set, jackets, coats, any outer garment of clothing began to be ripped off, for we knew what was coming and we wanted it now!
Then, it came. With an intoxicating blend of tropical beats, and electropop tempo, the place erupted into a frenzy of dancing. What’s truly so admirable about Taylor’s talents are the way people respond to his music. As seen in so many other clubs, the trite, pedestrian “fist-pump,” or emotionless rocking of the head, was nowhere to be found. People came to this club to expand upon their palate of dancing, enhancing their abilities to the rhythmically stimulating sounds of Taylor’s beats. Those who had endured the cold came to shake every part of their body, holding nothing back. That’s about as good as it gets in the music industry. When you can summon a crowd of all ages to dance as if it was their last day on earth, you have done something right, you’ve done something divine. The affectionate crowd not only embraced the music, they embraced each other. While Taylor began his own renditions of massive hits like “Ready for the Floor,” and “Over and Over,” the dancing community within the Brooklyn Bowl was ever more ready to put aside differences and concentrate on nothing but the music and its soul. Not one person stood still. Even those, whose fancy footwork wasn’t as sharp as some of the other more prominent dancers on sight, threw away any introspective feelings they may have had in the beginning of the night, and now began to join in on this epic festival of love and dance. For those expecting to hear original versions of Hot Chip hits had come to the wrong place. Taylor as does each member of Hot Chip when playing a solo dj set, refuses to play any original material stating, “It just isn’t the same without them.” You have to respect the loyalty and camaraderie this band has, they really are as stated in their song “Brothers” a group of profound musicians who care dearly about one another.
Suffice it to say, the evening had to come to an end, but not before Taylor issued perhaps the most intricate remix heard in some time. With a keen sense of meter and tempo, Taylor meshed “Idioteque” from Radiohead and “Derezzed” by the artists formerly known as Daft Punk, into one magical sounding song that resonated throughout the entire club. Taylor had traveled all the way from London for this unexpected appearance, but after witnessing a group of avid, ardent fans give it their all on the dance floor I’m sure he’ll be back sooner than later. For an evening 2011 became 1975, and with Alexis Taylor as host, we each did our best in emulating John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever, and participated in a genuine disco-dance party!
-Conor Febos, February 28, 2011
Upon first hearing that Alexis Taylor- mastermind behind electropop heavyweights Hot Chip- was going to DJ a live set at the Brooklyn Bowl I didn’t really know what to think. Obviously, immediate jubilation spread throughout the community of local Hot Chip fans in the area, but would Alexis play Hot Chip music? Would he throw in some LCD? Or was he here to show the full extent of his undeniable talent? These and other questions were answered Saturday night as I made my way through the bitter cold, waited on what seemed like a never-ending line, and eventually entered into what Rolling Stone recently deemed, “the coolest place on earth no one knows about.” This of course being the Brooklyn Bowl located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the Mecca for inner-city hipsters who claim to know a thing or two about current en vogue trends and music. So when it was announced that possibly the coolest cat of them all, Alexis Taylor, would grant us his presence for an evening, it wasn’t just the hipsters who were ready for the floor. Anyone hoping to shed some calories for a night and forget the troubles of the week was welcomed into what was sure to be an all night dancing affair.
The environment of the club was electrifying. Despite the freezing temperatures and exceptionally high winds, people had come from all over New York to catch Taylor dish out some funky beats like no one else can. Some of his more devoted fans had made the cross continental trip from England to make him feel more at home, while others had just hours before departed from Los Angeles to catch the front man from Hot Chip. The moment you arrived you knew you were somewhere special. Places like this just don’t exist anymore. To your right was a 12 lane bowling alley, behind you was a colossal sized bar, if you ventured out past the bar you found yourself in the middle of a lounge dedicated to those who may have danced a little too hard and needed a break. All the while in the center of this one of a kind venue was a dance floor that would make any disco-loving man or woman nostalgic over an era that was seemingly too good to let go. For those too young to remember this era or for those whose parents spent countless hours trying to explain the uncanny “cool” of the 70’s to disinterested ears, this was their chance to experience a disco-dance party, hosted by none other than one of the world’s most gifted musicians, in a place that beckoned you to get off your seat and shake it like no one was watching.
By the time Alexis was nearing his introduction onto stage the place had moved on from the initial, premature stages of a dance party. No longer was the bar the place to be. You finished your last drink, you tied your shoes tight, made sure all of your essential possessions were in safe keeping, and finally you made your way onto the floor and waited for the evening to really begin. Fortunately, I was able to make my way all the way up, standing no more than a foot away from the stage as Alexis made his Brooklyn debut. Alexis was relentlessly receiving phones from the eager audience with brief text messages of songs they hoped to hear him play. Debonair as usual, Alexis embraced each one, smiling to the crowd as if we were all his childhood friends. The man could do no wrong. As we waited with anticipation for the coming of his set, jackets, coats, any outer garment of clothing began to be ripped off, for we knew what was coming and we wanted it now!
Then, it came. With an intoxicating blend of tropical beats, and electropop tempo, the place erupted into a frenzy of dancing. What’s truly so admirable about Taylor’s talents are the way people respond to his music. As seen in so many other clubs, the trite, pedestrian “fist-pump,” or emotionless rocking of the head, was nowhere to be found. People came to this club to expand upon their palate of dancing, enhancing their abilities to the rhythmically stimulating sounds of Taylor’s beats. Those who had endured the cold came to shake every part of their body, holding nothing back. That’s about as good as it gets in the music industry. When you can summon a crowd of all ages to dance as if it was their last day on earth, you have done something right, you’ve done something divine. The affectionate crowd not only embraced the music, they embraced each other. While Taylor began his own renditions of massive hits like “Ready for the Floor,” and “Over and Over,” the dancing community within the Brooklyn Bowl was ever more ready to put aside differences and concentrate on nothing but the music and its soul. Not one person stood still. Even those, whose fancy footwork wasn’t as sharp as some of the other more prominent dancers on sight, threw away any introspective feelings they may have had in the beginning of the night, and now began to join in on this epic festival of love and dance. For those expecting to hear original versions of Hot Chip hits had come to the wrong place. Taylor as does each member of Hot Chip when playing a solo dj set, refuses to play any original material stating, “It just isn’t the same without them.” You have to respect the loyalty and camaraderie this band has, they really are as stated in their song “Brothers” a group of profound musicians who care dearly about one another.
Suffice it to say, the evening had to come to an end, but not before Taylor issued perhaps the most intricate remix heard in some time. With a keen sense of meter and tempo, Taylor meshed “Idioteque” from Radiohead and “Derezzed” by the artists formerly known as Daft Punk, into one magical sounding song that resonated throughout the entire club. Taylor had traveled all the way from London for this unexpected appearance, but after witnessing a group of avid, ardent fans give it their all on the dance floor I’m sure he’ll be back sooner than later. For an evening 2011 became 1975, and with Alexis Taylor as host, we each did our best in emulating John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever, and participated in a genuine disco-dance party!
-Conor Febos, February 28, 2011