Weeked wrap, Part 2: 'Like a giant Cinespace'

[A Buzz Bands correspondent describes the scene at the second annual Neighborhood Festival at Exposition Park on Saturday:]

It was as if I awoke from a coma to find that the style of Los Angeles hipsters had gone from tight jeans, hats, faded shirts and black-and-gray sneakers to, well, tight jeans, hats, faded shirts and sneakers -- but done in Day-Glo. Any doubts that "nu-rave" has arrived were erased at the Neighborhood Festival, Dim Mak's dance-music gathering that featured the likes of the Faint, Mickey Avalon, Chromeo and DJ sets from AM, Blake Miller of Moving Units and Dim Mak's founder, Steve Aoki.

But as with an event based in hipster culture, this one seemed high on style and short on actual content. The crowd seemed largely unmoved by the live sets, with the exception of the Faint, who seemed every bit the main attraction they deserved to be. The real stars were the DJs -- Aoki, with Har Mar Superstar acting as his "hype man," incited the crowd with a pumped-up version of of the Refused anthem "New Noise" and finished his set with a stage dive. AM mashed up Justice Vs Simian's "We Are Your Friends" with "Where's Your Head At" by Basement Jaxx, and Miller's set -- he's now DJing as Blake Is Ruthless -- featured three hot policewomen on the dancefloor.

One observer likened the scene to "a giant Cinespace," referring to Aoki's successful Tuesday night promotion at the Hollywood club that was built on high energy and seemingly hackneyed dance music spun with a liberating irony.

A lot it of sounds tired unless you're 20: Oldies with beats? Really? You don't remember electro-clash?

Maybe it's the advent of DJ programs like Serrato, but dancefloor hits are being put together in a genuinely fresh way. "New Noise" indeed.

Photo by Trey Derbes

Comments

[victor]

why no mention of Crystal Castles, Spank Rock, Young Americans etc. etc. and so many of the other cool acts on the bill?

I'm 24 and I don't think any of this music sounds tired.

[scott]

"Like a giant Cinespace"...classic!

[FreakBeat]

" the advent of DJ programs like Serrato" says it all really.
Since there are not discs involved (vinyl or plastic) when using that program, you should use the correct term, CJ's (computer jockeys).
Talent/hearing is not needed to operate, just the ability to match up moving lines on a computer screen. It is guitar hero for wannabe dj's plain and simple. Playing Tetris takes more skill.