22 Nov 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking
  • Articles »
  • Reviews »
  • TREi - Gig Review: Trei & Jabz MC - 'Locally Sauced' @ The Slate Room, Christchurch - 22/11/2019

TREi - Gig Review: Trei & Jabz MC - 'Locally Sauced' @ The Slate Room, Christchurch - 22/11/2019

28 Nov 2019 // A review by Gwarden
DJ/MC partnerships are a long-standing tradition, especially in Drum & Bass; just think of iconic pairings like Andy C & MC GQ (and later Tonn Piper), Grooverider & MC Flux, and DJ Marky & Stamina MC. On a humid Canterbury evening in late November, long-time NZ-based duo Trei and Jabz MC treated a sweaty Slate Room to an exhibition of that unique chemistry.


Momentum Promotions’ boss Domino (mixing for the first time under this new alias) warmed up the Subtle Sound System effectively with melodic tunes such as Roll The Dice (Shy FX ft. Stamina MC & Lily Allen), Step Away (Chase & Status ft. MC Fats), as well as the dark and catchy Bang by Particle.

Swifty utilised a laptop setup to drop a nice selection that started with a cheeky remix of Can’t Help Falling In Love, and an impressive mix of Critical Impact’s Pretty Girl (ft. Youhman & Furniss) into a version of Adam F’s Circles followed quickly by an unidentified foghorn roller. Jam Thieves’ Babylon VIP also got an airing with it’s recognisable “notes by the layerz, true f*cking playaz” refrain, and while the mixes were tight, being in behind the laptop meant there wasn’t much performer engagement with the growing crowd.

Vex is a seasoned DJ and it showed in his deft manipulation of energy levels, quickly bringing a proper rave atmosphere with assured, dextrous blending. Heavyweight tracks such as Envy by Bou did considerable damage on the Subtle Sound System, as well as Need For Mirrors monstrous Lambo, and Pretty Girl got another airing no less effective than the first. Jabz MC appeared and began warming up the dedicated gathering, as well as warming up himself (literally stretching in preparation).

Trei unassumingly took the stage but was soon dropping huge, high energy belters, the temperature of the room rising considerably as sweaty ravers were coaxed to higher levels by both Jabz MC and the pummeling beats. Trei’s signature sound emerged as a combination of shimmering, pad-heavy breakdowns and fast tempo, tech-stabby drops, no better represented by the dubplate collaboration between himself and Futurebound forthcoming on UKF’s 10 Year LP. Amongst this formula were sprinkled some classic cuts such as Bad Company’s Pulse 2000, J Majik’s Spaced Invader Remix, Drumsound & Bassline Smith’s Dreadlock Remix and Original Nuttah 25.

Jabz MC likes to stalk through the crowd, reading the vibe and temperature of the ravers in the ride, allowing the music to do the destroying and then stoking a frenzy when needed. One love vibes and unity through the music were the messages coming through, and from the looks on euphoric faces it was a shared feeling. Picking up on when the crowd needed submission or obliteration, Trei’s greatest asset was knowing just when to challenge or indulge, feeding off flurries of gunfingers, or the inevitable exodus to the smoko area during any breakdown longer than 15 seconds (the latest generation of dancers appear to have either very short attention spans or severe vaping habits). Dubplates from Viper Recordings led into a nasty double of Drumsound & Bassline Smith’s Ouija with Commix’s Be True, and the set was rounded off by some lovely vocal-heavy bangers, including Trei’s collaboration with recent NZMA winner Tali, entitled Rebels.

As the evening wound down and a clearly exhausted Jabz MC left the stage, local veteran Subvert brought things to a close with some weighty, dark tunes and thudding basslines, still plenty of ravers soaking up the brutal beats. While the turnout was not capacity, it hardly mattered to anyone in attendance, as performers, promoters and punters alike shared in the special vibes created by a perfect blend of selectors and sounds.

 

About TREi

TREi, AKA Trevor Linnell, has been a leader in the drum and bass scene down under since 2007. With a slew of producers coming from Australia and New Zealand including Pendulum, ShockOne, State of Mind and Concord Dawn, TREi has made a name for himself with releases on prestigious labels such as: Viper Recordings, Technique, Commercial Suicide, SOM Music, Shogun Ltd, Samurai Music, and Uprising Recordings.

2013 saw the release of his much anticipated second album, Satellites (on State of Mind’s SOM Music imprint), released to much acclaim. Packed with hard hitting beats, progressive rollers, and proven Dancefloor smashers including the singles Change Your Mind (with Thomas Oliver), Homecoming (with MC Tali) and Running (also with Thomas Oliver), as well as collaborations with The Upbeats and State of Mind. Continuing on from where 2009’s highly acclaimed debut Innuendo left off, Satellites has propelled TREi even further into the musical stratosphere.

TREi’s association with Viper Recordings goes back to 2011 where he made his debut on the label with the single The Light / Mumbo Jumbo and a series of tracks featured on various Viper compilations including Habituated and Placebo, as well as his first Beatport #1 with the smash hit Seeds in 2014. Following the success of Seeds, TREi released another huge track with Viper in the form of his remix of Tali’s Forces from Viper’s Decade of Viper 10 year anniversary album.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for TREi

Releases

Satellites
Year: 2013
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
Innuendo
Year: 2009
Type: Album

Other Reviews By Gwarden

DeLaye - EP Review: Blankspace.
17 Nov 2021 // by Gwarden
20 year old producer DeLaye creates music that defies easy description. Inhabiting the experimental electronic space pioneered by the likes of Aphex Twin and championed by modern masters such as Flying Lotus and Four Tet, his music features fat glitch-hop bass kicks and chopped beats anchoring sonic explorations that ebb and flow with intent.
Read More...
Mac Summer - Single Review: Web of Life
16 Nov 2021 // by Gwarden
Mac Summer  may be a brand new name to drum & bass fans, but this new alter ego comes from Malcolm Welsford, who has been involved in the NZ music scene for over 30 years, most famously as the man behind the legendary York Street Recording Studios. Having produced a range of guitar-based Kiwi bands from Shihad to Supergroove, he has perhaps surprisingly turned to electronic music production with this foray into the saturated drum & bass market.
Read More...
EM/FM - Album Review - Quixote
03 Nov 2021 // by Gwarden
Fitting snugly into the still-relatively underground retrowave sound (an umbrella term loosely used to describe the synthwave/vaporwave microgenres), EM/FM’s debut LP Quixote taps directly into the 80’s nostalgia vein and mines it for woozy pathos and dreamy yearning. Utilising many of the hallmarks of 80’s synth-heavy composers and movie soundtracks, from Phil Collins-esque reverbed drums, plucked bass twang, and all the analog synth tones you could dream of, it’s a fascinating re-composition of elements elevated to pastiche by focusing on real emotion and modern songwriting.
Read More...
Hotel Death Star - Single Review: The Daylight
10 Sep 2021 // by Gwarden
Hotel Death Star are a relatively new duo, finding life in 2020 when singer-songwriter Phil Stoodley collaborated with composer-producer Andreas Arianto to craft their interpretation of melodic deep-house blended with more traditional songwriting elements. Fans of electronic genres will find plenty to like here, but crossover appeal might be limited.
Read More...
Shapeshifter - Album Review: Rituals
17 Aug 2021 // by Gwarden
Shapeshifter (affectionately known as ‘Shapies’ by fans) are a New Zealand music institution. With over 2 decades of live shows, 4 EPs, 5 full-length studio albums, a handful of music awards and a reputation as the best live Drum & Bass act in the world, they’re both revered locally and ambassadors of the sound worldwide.
Read More...
Gig Review: Shapeshifter @ Christchurch Town Hall - 30/07/2021
02 Aug 2021 // by Gwarden
Back on the road after a few months of downtime, Shapeshifter return for a national tour in support of their seventh studio album Rituals. Kicking things off in their hometown Otautahi, the Christchurch Town Hall was host to another explosive, uplifting performance by one of NZs most treasured and traveled live acts.
Read More...
Truth - Album Review: Acceptance
23 Jul 2021 // by Gwarden
Low-tempo maestros Truth return to their Deep, Dark and Dangerous imprint with a long-player of sublime electronica. Billed as their most personal album to date, Acceptance captures the duo at their most introspective, a response to a world in crisis evoked as nostalgia-inducing reveries and cavernous meditations.
Read More...
Anna Wild - EP Review: WOOL
22 Dec 2020 // by Gwarden
WOOL is the first project from Wellington-based artist Anna Wild, and it comprises 3 ambient/electronic instrumental tracks in conjunction with a 10 minute short film providing visual accompaniment. This visual EP was created to go hand-in-hand; while the music can certainly be absorbed on its own, it’s through the film (directed and animated by Taizan Yamada) that the depth of meaning shines through.
Read More...
View All Articles By Gwarden

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • APT.
    ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
    Gracie Abrams
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • SAILOR SONG
    Gigi Perez
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem