June 11, 2009
Benga + XI - Big Bass Thurdsays @ Smartbar!
Featuring-
Benga
One of the major names in the world of dubstep, producer Benga was born Beni Uthman in East London. His parents eventually moved to the suburb of Croydon, where a young Benga would fiddle with his radio every night, looking for pirate radio stations and taking in all sorts of fringe music. He first began making tracks on his PlayStation game system, then graduated to digital audio workstation Fruity Loops when his parents bought him a computer.
Hearing the dark work of 2-step producer Wookie inspired him to join part of the grime/garage scene that would eventually evolve into dubstep. Hanging out at the Big Apple Records store in Croydon introduced him to fellow dubstep producer Skream. When the store began its own label, Benga released his debut 12", "Skank," in late 2002. A co-production with Skream called "The Judgement" appeared on Big Apple in early 2003, and then Benga began his own label -- Benga Beats -- and released the three-track 12" Benga Beats, Vol. 1 in 2004. A couple 12"s for the Planet Mu label landed before Benga Beats released his full-length debut, Newstep, in 2006.
By now radio DJs and tastemakers like Mary Anne Hobbs and François K were singing his praises, putting Benga in the company of dubstep's favorite, Burial. In 2007 he moved to the Tempa label and issued the singles "Crunked Up" and "Night," the latter a collaboration with Coki. Both tracks ended up on his 2008 album, Diary of an Afro Warrior. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
XI - Lo Dubs, Offroad, Formant, Loetech - Toronto
Christian Andersen grew up immersed in the sonic melting pot that is Toronto, Ontario, a city rich in the compost of Jungle, Dub Reggae, Hip hop & Techno. He has been cultivating the music scene in Totonto since high-school days and his love of bass driven music and rugged drum patterns lead him to dubstep.
His sound is a combination of many styles touching on techno, downtempo hip-hop, ambient, jungle, and garage house, and he mixes them together into a melodic whirlwind of drum machine driven fury. His take on dubstep is ranges from highly musical to deep and gnarly, always with a particular bounce and slinkiness.
In his sets you are as likely to hear the unsynchronized symphonies of Starkey or Flying Lotus or the soulful diversions of Martyn, and TRG as you are to hear the low-down bashment stylings of 6blocc or Loefah or the techno smashers of Headhunter and DJ Pinch.
XI (pronounced Eks-eye!) collaborates with Bombaman to form the super bass music transfomer known as Loetech. Voltron styyyyyyle! The dynomite duo host a weekly Streamizm radio session on http://www.streamizm.com/.
Chistian is also elemental in Subtrac, Totonto's premier dubstep night.
With several releases on labels such as Offroad and Lo Dubs including Various Bass anthems "G Funk 3000" and "Guns At Dawn" (with DZ) as well as a slew of forthcoming records and a ton of fresh unreleased dubs, XI is sure to bring it big!
Local Support from:
Phaded - Dubfix / Betamorph / Dented Sessions / Dubstep.fm
vs
Chris Widman - Abstract Science / WLUW 88.7 fm
@ Smartbar
3730 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60613
Music Starts @ 10 pm || $10 before Midnight / $15 After / $5 with Smartbar Text before 11pm!|| 21+
www.smartbarchicago.com || www.dubfix.com || rsvp@dubfix.com
WOWOWOWOW
Damn I wanna go....hmmmmmmmmmmm
