Deafheaven and S.P.Y

Chaotic, unstructured and in general just very, very loud, Deafheaven are a band that ooze darkness and play the sort of music that has an overwhelming energy to it. Starting up in 2010, they are fair newcomers to the black metal niche market but have done well to secure a solid fanbase. In July 2013, Deafheaven play a set at Bottom Of The Hill in their home town of San Francisco, quite a tightly packed club that was evidently rich with atmosphere when the band came on. They made a very dramatic opening to their set as the crowd waited through three minutes of mysterious instrumental before the song 'Dream House' finally kicked in. The guitars and drums were ruthlessly repetitive in an attempt to build up as much sound as possible and lead singer (or screamer if you will) George Clarke made sure he was at his theatrical best, leaning into the crowd and yelling his lungs out when required to. There was a break between all the predictable mania when the song 'Irresistible' played but just a few minutes later, Deafheaven performed Sunbather and consequently burst everyone's eardrums. My favourite part of the night was the performance of 'Unrequited', one of Deafheaven's more sinister numbers and the band done well to capture the mood, turning the lights down as George eerily beckoned people to the front. Another thing I enjoyed was the privilege of hearing a clear-ish melody in the song despite the musical ruckus. The Cali-based band certainly tore the roof off of the place, although if you want to see them at future gigs, a pair of earbuds is advised.

Originally from Sao Paolo but on the London drum and bass scene for the last eleven years, S.P.Y has just dropped his epic two-part Back to Basics LP. Released within six months of each other, Chapter One and Two feature collaborations with Total Science, Rene La Vice and vocal tracks from the likes of Diane Charlemagne, Grimm and DRS MC. The 24 tracks blend the uplifting drum and bass timbre of his previous LP, What the Future Holds, and his earlier Love & Hate EP, with a darker, more deeply-rooted house sound. He’s also done stonkingly good remixes with pal, DJ Marky, on Deadmau5’s ‘Strobe’, Claude von Stroke’s ‘Aundy’ and LTJ Bukem’s ‘Atlantis’, and of Chase & Status’s ‘Flashing Lights’ and Delilah’s ‘Go’. He also co-wrote the tune for the 2014 Street Child World Cup along with London Elektricity and Back to Basics collaborator Diane Charlemagne. He’s earned a spot on the bill for Tomorrowland, Global Gathering and the Electric Daisy Carnival and plays a smashing live set. The live atmosphere is ecstatic. There’s an even mix of brimming kids and old scene denizens and S.P.Y manages to cover all the bases.