Michna in New York City

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  • Wind and rain whipped outside Mercury Lounge on a recent Wednesday night as a crowd gathered for the triple-bill of ApSci, Michna, and Cubic Zirconia. Combining sounds of hip-hop, acid house and funk, the lineup offered something for everyone during the evening. Ghostly International's Michna started off his set by creating a hypnotic effect as he laid down a pulsating hip-hop beat. The lights morphed to red, and the Brooklyn-based DJ layered in synth flourishes and vocal samples that quickly had the full house rapt. While most of the crowd stood and bobbed their heads, Michna constantly jumped across his array of equipment: three turntables, two laptops, two mixers and an effects processor. He scratched and sampled, deftly pulling the brooding beat in and out. As the forty-minute set progressed, Michna branched out by introducing everything from acid house melodies to a sampling of '90s pop clips (think Blues Traveler) into the mix. Throughout the set, he succeeded in maintaining a coherent yet adventurous sound, an indication of his skilled ear. Known for hosting off-the-wall parties in which he dresses in all varieties of costumes (a traditional Chinese farmer at one party, a David Hasselhoff look-alike at another), Michna kept the focus on the music at Mercury Lounge. In plain clothes and keeping his head down, it felt as if the crowd was glimpsing an obsessive working alone in his lab. Unfortunately, despite Michna's smart turntablism, the Mercury Lounge crowd seemed simply to be waiting and passively (if not deeply) involved in Michna's on-stage activities. But with his skill, there's hope that Michna will very shortly be reaching a much wider audience in venues where he can control the room like he does his decks.
RA