- Vayu Sound is a relative newcomer to LA's increasingly crowded underground. The promoter's second event, following a Bunker New York showcase last March, hosted DeepChord, Convextion, wndfrm and Ed Vertov as part of a late-night affair called Licht Und Klang (German for "Light And Sound"). In a scene where many of the biggest promoters share a lot in common—they use the same venues, draw from the same pool of DJs, even employ the same bar staff and security—this party felt refreshingly different. Instead of the eclectic blend of house, disco and Balearic styles that have taken root in many of the city's afterhours clubs, Vayu Sound curated a hyper-focused lineup, where the music hardly strayed from the enveloping sounds of dub techno.
On the night of the party, attendees were emailed directions to an art gallery in Downtown, where the entrance to the upstairs dance floor was a secret doorway disguised as a bookcase. A sophisticated lighting rig and video projector had been installed, but otherwise the gallery's quirky décor remained in place. Over the course of the night, the expressionistic paintings, animal skulls and vintage porn magazines felt somewhat at odds with the lean, mechanical music.
Ed Vertov handled the first several hours, hunched over two turntables without a laptop or CDJ in sight. The local DJ, who co-founded Kompakt affiliated label Pro-Tez, set the vibe with dub techno classics like Basic Channel's "Phylyps Trak II." The crowd was a bit shy and slow to dance despite a strong early turnout, but when Vertov dropped E.R.P.'s dreamy electro workout "Alsoran," feet began to shuffle. Unfortunately, Vertov's technical and well considered mixing, which relied on long blends, suffered from floor vibrations that sent needles skipping and interrupted the flow of an otherwise brilliant set.
A live performance from Portland's wndfrm suggested that the crowd were more accustomed to rock shows than club nights, as folks pressed in close to watch the musician work a TR-8 and a series of MIDI controllers. His set moved gradually, beginning with a long ambient passage that finally gave way to earth-shaking bass and a scratchy hi-hat pattern. Later, a pulsing kick and dubby rolling chords carried the meditative grooves through till after 3 AM.
A short break of applause ushered in the night's headliner, Ron Modell, AKA DeepChord. He stepped up to a laptop and 16 channel mixer and launched straight into his signature style of atmospheric techno, but at a breakneck pace. Sticking closely to this sound while working in several of his own productions, Modell conjured a powerful feeling, exciting eager fans. But fatigue set in as his set progressed, and attendance began to dwindle in the sweltering room. The party couldn't quite sustain the momentum to match the set times, which were ambitious by LA standards. Also, as interesting as the lineup was, the overall event gave the impression of enthusiastic but possibly inexperienced promoters. With a little more attention to the non-musical elements of a good party, Vayu Sound could become an essential voice in the city's booming nightlife.
Photo credit /
Christopher Soltis