Tin Man in LA

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  • LA's new wave of techno and house has grown considerably over the past few years, with a host of young promoters contributing to a scene where late night warehouse parties have become the established norm. That said, Acid Camp's recent event with Tin Man helped demonstrate that the city's typical party format isn't set in stone, and that the scene is still growing. As one of few promoters specializing in daytime events, Acid Camp's basic formula stands out from the crowd. This particular afternoon session, held on April 9th, celebrated the launch of the outfit's new record label. There was a laid-back, community atmosphere, with food and coffee provided by companies connected to local music heads, and a pop-up record shop from independent online store Stellar Remnant. Couple this with an excellent venue—a quirky, historic building with a leafy patio space in the city's north-east—and you had all the ingredients for a killer party. The music was conspicuously quiet when I arrived, which, I quickly discovered, was due to an unforeseen memorial service taking place next door—a perfect example of how unpredictability is par for the course of running underground events in LA. By the time the space started filling up, it was safe to crank the system again, and dancers grooved in the late afternoon light to hypnotic techno selections from Simic and Natan H (both artists have EPs out on the new label). As the pair took turns playing short sets, tracks like Nima Gorji's "Tjar" struck the right balance of pulsing rhythms and mellow atmosphere.    The moment Natan H's final track (Hiver's "Intersect") played out, the music cut and Tin Man appeared behind a laptop with a TR-8 and a pair of 303s. Diving in headfirst, he delivered a strong set with few surprises. Every so often he'd mellow out into his signature melancholic acid, eventually returning to a twisting, angular take on the genre as he pushed the tracks through sheets of controlled reverb. As night fell, he transitioned to the CDJs while fog machines shrouded the dance floor. Appearing in a state of deep concentration, he made meticulous micro-adjustments to the EQs as he charged through selections like his and Cassegrain's "High and Low," Skudge's "Void" and Natan H's "Lignes." The room stayed merrily grooving right up until the 10 PM cut-off. Photo credit / Erin Keeffe
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