- When it comes to late-night live sets sandwiched between DJs, results can vary. Sometimes momentum dies, sound quality suffers and predictability sets in, leaving dancers cold. But other times, like Bas Bron's Los Angeles debut as Fatima Yamaha, a live set can elevate the party, bringing a raw, energetic feeling that puts a spark in the dance.
Lights Down Low, the long-running West Coast party, hosted the night at what has become downtown's most reliable TBA warehouse space, adding welcome visual projections to the bare walls and some much-needed seating. Despite a competing party with DJ Harvey and Honey Soundsystem in the neighborhood, Lights Down Low drew a strong crowd and continued to attract afterhours revelers into the pre-dawn hours.
Rounding out the bill were KCRW fixture Mario Cotto, Fine Time head Tahl K and Lights Down Low resident Corey Sizemore. Tahl K and Mario Cotto handled the earlier hours of the party, at one point playing back-to-back. The pair covered a wide range of electronic styles, from Coco Steel and Lovebomb's ravey '90s Warp Records track "Feel It" to Simple Minds' "New Gold Dream." Cotto in particular pulled off wild mixes from slamming house tunes into synth pop cool-downs.
However it was the headliner's live performance that generated the most enthusiasm from the crowd, even with its more laid-back sound. Bas Bron climbed into the booth shortly after 2 AM, warming up with ad-libbed synth leads over the DJs before beginning his set with "Sooty Shearwater, King of Migration," from the 2015 album Imaginary Lines. With so much hype surrounding "What's A Girl To Do" it's easy to overlook the strength of other Fatima Yamaha productions, which tend to rely on the same palette of colorful chords, electro percussion and boogie rhythms, and the same snappy pop sensibility and wistful mood. Folks went wild as Bron teased into the central groove of "What's A Girl To Do," but as I heard it alongside his other music, it felt more like one important piece of a coherent discography than a standout hit.
While Bron's music thrived in the club, clearly exciting the dance floor, Fatima Yamaha’s translation from the studio to the live setting felt slightly awkward. The Fatima Yamaha name and records are appealing in part for how the artwork and song titles such as “Between Worlds,” “Borderless II,” “Night Crossing,” and “Imaginary Lines,” compliment the music, suggesting a deep narrative involving travel or migration. The live show, which consisted of abstract visuals projected behind Bas Bron as he jammed on a series of keyboards, seemed to stop short of conveying any conceptual elements of Fatima Yamaha. Instead it felt more like remarkably good studio project repurposed for live performance.