Deviation at fabric
19 May 2009
PR Copy : Event Press Campaign
1Xtra's Benji B brought his monthly Deviation session to fabric for a special one-off event Press release and a small handful of press clippings below.
19 May 2009
PR Copy : Event Press Campaign
1Xtra's Benji B brought his monthly Deviation session to fabric for a special one-off event Press release and a small handful of press clippings below.
MAY 19, 2009
DEVIATION at fabric
press release
Week in, week out, every Thursday night Benji B rides the waves of 1Xtra, smoothly travelling through an unimaginable range of styles and beats. With a connect-the-dots vibe throughout the exploratory 2 hour journey, the focus of his show, Deviation, sits on good music fuelled by soul, regardless of genre or hype. From the deep, swelling sounds of Theo Parrish to the wandering, machine feel of Juan Atkins to Stones Throw's cracked hip hop joints to the devastating sub-bass of Kode 9, Benji's future-forward program sits at ease on its well-honed pedestal. Deviation effortlessly crosses borders and oceans, rounding up a league of dedicated listeners glittered around corners of the globe. The same cult-followed notion applies to his Deviation club night which (on the first Wednesday of every month) has the buzzing, inimitable atmosphere of a room that's in on a well-kept secret.
In an image-obsessed city like London that revolves incessantly around trends, it's liberating to discover a night as freed from pretension as Deviation. Escaping so many self-indulgent aspects of performance and DJing, Deviation brings back the idea of a session: playing sets created by music heads, for music heads. This is far from an artless showcase of records being played at a lowest-common-denominator rate (rewound, chewed up and spat out); this is the real deal. With its heart on the dancefloor, Deviation is intrinsically about the vibe, getting down on the upbeat with no inhibition.
After a year and a half of righteous sessions at Shoreditch's Gramaphone, the first Deviation jam at fabric will touch down on Wednesday, 13 May. The first Deviation/fabric collab will be part of Spine Magazine's ten year anniversary, being the London leg of their 4-city European tour (London, Berlin, Gothenburg and Stockholm; all shows headlined by Benji B). To celebrate the meeting of minds, it seemed only fitting to get ahold of two of hip hop's most original characters, imaginative innovators and, above all, music-loving crate diggers: Madlib and J Rocc.
But don't just take it from us; rather than regurgitate worn-out press blurbs about their countless achievements, let's go straight to the source and ask Benji B...
What do Madlib and J Rocc mean to you personally?
"In terms of skills and technique, J Rocc is without question one of the very best DJs on the planet. But his talents extend way beyond just beat juggling, cutting and the technical side - he is a serious selector with amazing taste in music and can rock a party whilst playing right across the board. I have seen other DJs' jaws drop while they watch some of his routines. His only has one problem - he's too good! One thing is always for certain when he plays: he will smash it to pieces. One of my favourite DJs no question.
Madlib is one of the most prolific, free thinking and influential producers of the past decade. Without question Stones Throw's most famous artist, Madlib has one of the most incredible record collections and has one of the most phenomenal work rates I have ever seen. He makes so many beats a day that I can imagine it's hard for even those closest to him to keep up. From Lootpack to Quasimoto to Jaylib to remixing genres including jazz, reggae and Brasilian, to working with Erykah Badu, MF Doom and Talib Kweli - he has developed an almost cult like following amongst some music fans. He has influenced a whole generation of producers and created an unmistakably unique signature sound along the way. One of my favourite recording artists and beat creators around."
Why did you choose them for this particular session?
"Both Madlib and J Rocc have been at the very top of my special guest wish list since the Deviation sessions started. I couldn't ask for two better artists to launch our Deviation Specials at fabric. Their wide ranging taste in quality music across the spectrum perfectly represents what the Deviation ethos is about. We have played a few times all together in the USA, now it's time to do that in London and have some fun. Followers of my weekly radio show will know their music very well, and it's been a long time since either has spun in the UK. Everyone wants to hear what Madlib will play on that system - and everyone knows J Rocc will destroy that room."
What do you have planned for Deviation at fabric?
"In starting this series of Deviation Special one offs, we will be bringing the same crowd, the same intimacy, the same attention to detail and the same midweek feeling from our basement sessions at Gramaphone. We will be using Room One exclusively - the rest of the venue will be shut, and we'll be dressing the venue in a way that will bring all of these elements together. It'll feel and look different to other nights at fabric. In choosing a Wednesday, it is a chance to bring the same unique sound and feel we have achieved with the regular sessions to a room that will allow us to keep our bass bin obsession and low-lit basement vibe satisfied - whilst giving us the chance to put on live bands and special guest DJs. fabric's Room One has one of the very best, if not the best sound system in the UK. Put simply, it is one of the best rooms to hear music in, and from a DJ perspective, an amazing place to spin. I think a few people who have forgotten that or have never experienced it will be blown away by the chance to hear Deviation music and some of our favourite DJs spin on that set. And of course by the bass in the floor!"
How did you hook up with Spine?
"Spine Magazine were way ahead of their time in anticipating music blogging and online magazines. They were one of the first sources for music news and downloads and over the years I have sourced plenty of info and new music from them, and it?s a pleasure to be asked to represent them as their DJ on the 10th anniversary tour. When the Deviation fabric date was confirmed, they asked if it could be added on to the tour schedule as the London date, and for me it made perfect sense. Happy birthday Spine."
Deviation at fabric will be no chin-stroking, head-nodding affair, nor will it be a full on hedonistic rave; this will be the essence of a DJ's art, and of hip hop itself: as expression, as a shared experience. Dive in.
DEVIATION at fabric
press release
Week in, week out, every Thursday night Benji B rides the waves of 1Xtra, smoothly travelling through an unimaginable range of styles and beats. With a connect-the-dots vibe throughout the exploratory 2 hour journey, the focus of his show, Deviation, sits on good music fuelled by soul, regardless of genre or hype. From the deep, swelling sounds of Theo Parrish to the wandering, machine feel of Juan Atkins to Stones Throw's cracked hip hop joints to the devastating sub-bass of Kode 9, Benji's future-forward program sits at ease on its well-honed pedestal. Deviation effortlessly crosses borders and oceans, rounding up a league of dedicated listeners glittered around corners of the globe. The same cult-followed notion applies to his Deviation club night which (on the first Wednesday of every month) has the buzzing, inimitable atmosphere of a room that's in on a well-kept secret.
In an image-obsessed city like London that revolves incessantly around trends, it's liberating to discover a night as freed from pretension as Deviation. Escaping so many self-indulgent aspects of performance and DJing, Deviation brings back the idea of a session: playing sets created by music heads, for music heads. This is far from an artless showcase of records being played at a lowest-common-denominator rate (rewound, chewed up and spat out); this is the real deal. With its heart on the dancefloor, Deviation is intrinsically about the vibe, getting down on the upbeat with no inhibition.
After a year and a half of righteous sessions at Shoreditch's Gramaphone, the first Deviation jam at fabric will touch down on Wednesday, 13 May. The first Deviation/fabric collab will be part of Spine Magazine's ten year anniversary, being the London leg of their 4-city European tour (London, Berlin, Gothenburg and Stockholm; all shows headlined by Benji B). To celebrate the meeting of minds, it seemed only fitting to get ahold of two of hip hop's most original characters, imaginative innovators and, above all, music-loving crate diggers: Madlib and J Rocc.
But don't just take it from us; rather than regurgitate worn-out press blurbs about their countless achievements, let's go straight to the source and ask Benji B...
What do Madlib and J Rocc mean to you personally?
"In terms of skills and technique, J Rocc is without question one of the very best DJs on the planet. But his talents extend way beyond just beat juggling, cutting and the technical side - he is a serious selector with amazing taste in music and can rock a party whilst playing right across the board. I have seen other DJs' jaws drop while they watch some of his routines. His only has one problem - he's too good! One thing is always for certain when he plays: he will smash it to pieces. One of my favourite DJs no question.
Madlib is one of the most prolific, free thinking and influential producers of the past decade. Without question Stones Throw's most famous artist, Madlib has one of the most incredible record collections and has one of the most phenomenal work rates I have ever seen. He makes so many beats a day that I can imagine it's hard for even those closest to him to keep up. From Lootpack to Quasimoto to Jaylib to remixing genres including jazz, reggae and Brasilian, to working with Erykah Badu, MF Doom and Talib Kweli - he has developed an almost cult like following amongst some music fans. He has influenced a whole generation of producers and created an unmistakably unique signature sound along the way. One of my favourite recording artists and beat creators around."
Why did you choose them for this particular session?
"Both Madlib and J Rocc have been at the very top of my special guest wish list since the Deviation sessions started. I couldn't ask for two better artists to launch our Deviation Specials at fabric. Their wide ranging taste in quality music across the spectrum perfectly represents what the Deviation ethos is about. We have played a few times all together in the USA, now it's time to do that in London and have some fun. Followers of my weekly radio show will know their music very well, and it's been a long time since either has spun in the UK. Everyone wants to hear what Madlib will play on that system - and everyone knows J Rocc will destroy that room."
What do you have planned for Deviation at fabric?
"In starting this series of Deviation Special one offs, we will be bringing the same crowd, the same intimacy, the same attention to detail and the same midweek feeling from our basement sessions at Gramaphone. We will be using Room One exclusively - the rest of the venue will be shut, and we'll be dressing the venue in a way that will bring all of these elements together. It'll feel and look different to other nights at fabric. In choosing a Wednesday, it is a chance to bring the same unique sound and feel we have achieved with the regular sessions to a room that will allow us to keep our bass bin obsession and low-lit basement vibe satisfied - whilst giving us the chance to put on live bands and special guest DJs. fabric's Room One has one of the very best, if not the best sound system in the UK. Put simply, it is one of the best rooms to hear music in, and from a DJ perspective, an amazing place to spin. I think a few people who have forgotten that or have never experienced it will be blown away by the chance to hear Deviation music and some of our favourite DJs spin on that set. And of course by the bass in the floor!"
How did you hook up with Spine?
"Spine Magazine were way ahead of their time in anticipating music blogging and online magazines. They were one of the first sources for music news and downloads and over the years I have sourced plenty of info and new music from them, and it?s a pleasure to be asked to represent them as their DJ on the 10th anniversary tour. When the Deviation fabric date was confirmed, they asked if it could be added on to the tour schedule as the London date, and for me it made perfect sense. Happy birthday Spine."
Deviation at fabric will be no chin-stroking, head-nodding affair, nor will it be a full on hedonistic rave; this will be the essence of a DJ's art, and of hip hop itself: as expression, as a shared experience. Dive in.
Event Flyer
Time Out London - Benji B feature
May 2009
Flavorpill London - Event Preview - May 2010
Also included in Flavorpill's monthly electronic newsletter.
Direct URL:
http://flavorpill.com/london/events/2009/5/13/deviation?utm_source=london&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=issue_279
Also included in Flavorpill's monthly electronic newsletter.
Direct URL:
http://flavorpill.com/london/events/2009/5/13/deviation?utm_source=london&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=issue_279
fabric Blog: Madlib download - 'Lifetime (Lifeline)'
Direct URL:
www.fabriclondon.com/blog/view/madlib-freebie-goodness
Direct URL:
www.fabriclondon.com/blog/view/madlib-freebie-goodness
Deviation at fabric - Photography
Ashes57: http://deviationmusic.net/blog/?p=725
Fatsarazzi: http://deviationmusic.net/blog/?p=584
Spine Magazine (Jeff Metal): www.spinemagazine.com/tour/?p=180
Ashes57: http://deviationmusic.net/blog/?p=725
Fatsarazzi: http://deviationmusic.net/blog/?p=584
Spine Magazine (Jeff Metal): www.spinemagazine.com/tour/?p=180
