- All-night warehouse parties are thriving in LA. With little competition from established dance clubs, roving nights like Moony Habits, Far Away and Dig Deeper are free to bring formidable talent and big soundsystems to the sparsely populated areas surrounding Downtown. The most recent installment of Moony Habits typified a successful night in the LA underground, as local DJs, promoters and clued-in music heads mixed with a diverse, fashion-focused crowd of several hundred that continued to grow well after 4 AM.
After welcoming Andrés, Sadar Bahar and Jex Opolis to LA in 2015, Moony Habits continued its run of strong bookings with headliners Ge-ology and Mark de Clive-Lowe. The two collaborated on a well-received release for Sound Signature last year, but appeared separately for this event, with de Clive-Lowe performing live and Ge-ology DJing.
Due to the questionable legal status of LA's afterhours dances, getting to the event first meant getting on the proper email list. Harkening back to the checkpoint systems of '90s rave, subscribers were sent directions to a deserted industrial zone where a man in a van discretely shared the address. From there it was a short ride to an unembellished space down a gritty Skid Row alley.
Resident Jojo Armani kicked off the night, coaxing early arrivers into motion with selections like Tabu Ley Rochereau's “Haffi Déo” and Harvey Sutherland's "New Paradise." Around 12:30 AM, local DJ Urban Soul Brotha #5 took the reins, announcing his presence with a pause and a downtempo R&B burner. He then deftly boosted the tempo and volume into a string of infectious piano house cuts, bouncing behind the booth and singing along with hands raised. His charisma and deep selections stirred the room and made his performance a surprise standout.
Though originally from New Zealand and now based in LA, de Clive-Lowe's set felt most strongly informed by his time in London in the '00s, when broken beat was at its height. Temporary warehouse soundsystems can lack the subtlety of a finely tuned club rig, but de Clive-Lowe tested its range with impressive results. Layering jazz chords upon stuttering drums, soulful vocals and powerful sub-bass, his insistence on complex rhythms prompted a few experienced dancers to break into freestyle sessions in the darkened corners of the venue.
After about an hour, Ge-ology stepped forward carrying two crates of records. He immediately changed up the tempo, dropping James Brown's "Funky Drummer" and Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express," both unexpected tributes to his hip-hop roots. (Though he's making waves in house music circles these days, Ge-ology is a multifaceted talent with productions for rap luminaries like Mos Def under his belt.)
Following a suite of unpredictable classics, Ge-ology settled into a smooth blend of disco, Afrobeat and house, with Herbie Hancock, Ikenga Super Stars Of Africa and Jay Daniel all featuring. Though last year's Moon Circuity EP showcased a united vision between the two headliners, their trajectories on the night were largely opposite: de Clive-Lowe pushed the system with his live set, while Ge-ology committed himself to the old school DJ methodology of vinyl or nothing. Aided by good sound, a sufficient space and the ability to go all-night, the audience were more than happy to follow their leads.
Photo credit: Noble J