- I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun completely sober! I waited a year and 4 months to hear Andy Smith (one half of Dynamo Productions) play, and By God! I was not disappointed!
10-4 was the location for the label launch of Katalyst's (with a K, right Stu? :p) Invada Records. With his upcoming album release ("Manipulating Agent") on the said Invada label and with previous releases on Cafe Del Mar Volume Seis (as one half of Moonrock) and on his own on the Dope on Plastic series, he is definitely one local dj/producer to watch in the near future. Rumour even has it that Jeff Burrows (Portishead) is involved with the production of Katalysts upcoming album – these two combined make it definitely one to watch out for.
That said - the Invada label launch absolutely rocked!! Cruising into 10-4 around 12.20am the place was pumping and there was a definite vibe of anticipation as Black Eyed Peas ‘Weekend' burst from the speakers drenching my ready-to-be-blessed ears.
Making my way to the bar I grabbed a drink and then set about finding my friends (whom I’d lost in the space of minutes) in the shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling, grooving crowd.
Finding them proved easily said and easily done. Dynamo Productions had started and my friends were front and centre - - prime position to watch the upcoming scratching, mixing, dropping and cutting.
What can I say about Dynamo Productions? Well firstly they completely surpassed my already high expectations. A friend introduced me to the sound of Andy Smith almost 16 months ago. As a result I’ve been keen to check him out in a DJ set for sometime now.
The crowd was jumping. Literally. Every time one of these guys started scratching, 5 deep would pause and then surge forward, eager to check out the handiwork on display before erupting into a simultaneous roar of approval, and then back to what we were hear for – grooving and listening to good music.
Dynamo Productions played a mixture of hip-hop, soul and groove. Tracks like Let Me Clear My Throat (also from the Dope on Plastic series) and Roots Manuva, feat Chali 2na (Jurassic Five Sick MC) - Join The Dots. They beat juggled, they scratched and they ripped it up. All around people were grinning at each other. At one point an ecstatic punter (otherwise known as Zarate_Fix) leaned over the decks, mobile in hand and showed Andy a message he’d received from a friend elsewhere in the crowed. Andy gave the guy a big thumbs up and a grin. The message read something like “You were right mate. Dynamo Productions absolutely ROCK!”
And rock they did for an hour and a half solid before clearing the way for Katalyst. A big mention goes to Katalyst - his set was absolutely first rate in such reputable company.
I left the laundry at 3am with a huge grin on my face and still at a loss for words for what I’d just been apart of. You know the kind of night that leaves you stuttering “oh my… errr…” and unable to finish sentences. The kind of night that reminds you why you love music in the first place, and how much you appreciate the talent of DJ’s who know, not only how to rock the party right, but are there to have a good time themselves.