- Ever since Bedrock Records released Guy J's first full length album, Esperanza, in September of 2008, bookings for the producer have been as diverse as the accolades he has received. With praises heard from the likes of Sasha and Pete Tong, it's no wonder Guy J has been debuting recently in cities around the globe. Tonight it would be Mexico City, where electronic music can be overheard from boom boxes and speakers in the unlikeliest of places—market stalls, high-end retailers, taxis, peseros (or microbúses) or even the odd Metro subway station.
Upon my arrival at Nekthar, I was met by a large banner hanging on the building, a few Sol beer promotion girls and a long line. The promoter, Technotika, also presented a Guy J pre-party one month prior at the same venue, and it was evident that they had invested a considerable amount of time and effort into promoting this event. Which meant I, too, would be investing a considerable amount of time and effort...waiting in line.
One hour and fifteen minutes later, I finally entered the venue. Immediately, I perceived an aural anomaly; the sound was coming from only one direction: the stage. No surround sound. There were approximately eight or nine speakers in total on the stage, and one or two above the bar area beside it. Not nearly enough to provide the sort of modern and advanced sound that a venue of this caliber should. Nekthar already has a lot going for it: An intimate setting, a theatre-like lounge area, reasonably priced drinks ($25 pesos for a bottle of Indio beer) and a well-managed outside patio area for club-goers to relax and unwind. Putting in a solid sound system would only help.
As a result of my wait in line, I missed Mapiu's set, but Chanock was keeping things steady in the room, broadcasting mild doses of progressive goodness. At midnight, a silver metallic Aztec warrior moseyed onto the stage with lively dance-like movements for a good 20 minutes before disappearing into the crowd. It was a nice touch to what was already becoming a musically enlightening night for me. When Gerard Straifen took it up a notch, around 12:30 AM, he rinsed a few Spanish house tracks that I didn't recognize, but were big hits with the crowd.
Minutes before 2:00—just as Straifen was winding down his set—animated vibrations of excitement spanned throughout the mostly full, 650 capacity venue when Guy J appeared on stage and began setting up his laptop. Flashes from camera phones illuminated the floor and the stage. A few club-goers immediately reached out to give him high fives, and to clink beer bottles. After putting his instruments in order, he smiled and turned out a set chock-full of progressive and uplifting textures, along with the usual reinforcing basslines to keep you longing for more. When I was situated at the outer edges of the venue, I was able to identify a few classic pieces—albeit with minor difficulty due to the soundsystem—like "Nothing" by Holden & Thompson, and "Hale Bopp" by Der Dritte Raum.
There were times during Guy J's set when I wondered why there weren't more people dancing on the crowded floor. Sure, the silver metallic Aztec warrior reappeared on stage, now with a companion woman warrior, but that wasn't enough to significantly move the somewhat fluctuating crowd. Perhaps it was the proportion of males to females in the club? By my count, it was six to one, a ratio that usually results in a plethora of wide-eyed men standing around listening to great music, which was exactly what was happening here.
Even so, the night had many of the successful ingredients for a great night out. Good DJ, good venue, good beer. With a proper sound system, and a more evenly distributed mix of males and females, it could have been great. More often than not, you would see an exodus of club-goers leaving the venue due to these missing ingredients, but that didn't happen tonight. As the minutes ticked tocked toward 5 AM, Guy J ended his set in front of a sizable and mesmerized audience with his impressive remix of "As You Fall" by Bent. We'll expect him back soon.