Erstellt am: 18. 6. 2011 - 11:33 Uhr
Urban Art Forms 2011: Night Two
The first few hours of the second night - Friday night - at Urban Art Forms were fairly predictable. Probably the entire affair was, but over the course of hours and hours of party, one loses one's ability to predict stuff.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
Urban Art Forms Festival 2011
At the beginning, it was tame. Naturally, I showed up way too early, already there at 19 Uhr, and hung out for hours with various friends and DJs, organizers, and security people who pretended each time I passed not to recognize me; we were all waiting for the event to take place.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
There were good DJs and even bands, simply very few people to appreciate them. One of these unappreciated early acts were the Young Punx. Hyphy dance music erupted from the speakers as they played, and for brief moments I could lose myself and start to dance, for a moment convince myself that it was three in the morning... but then I would look around, and see the semi-bored sober looks of the people around me, and suddenly once again it was just after seven in the evening, and we were all feeling quite ordinary. But the Young Punx cannot honestly be blamed for that, they did their best, earnestly and credibly, and did a very good job.
I walked around.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
The Red Bull Music Academy Stage was, at the beginning, the place to be. While a moderate number of people stood awkwardly around the main stage, and the Turbo techno room was still embarrassingly empty, outside people's fists were raised in the air at this tiny stage with a small but effective sound system. Trolley Snatcha, I believe it was, was in charge of the decks, and fired crunchy dubstep at a savagely responsive crowd - not that I knew it was Trolley Snatcha at the time - but everyone who wanted to party hard at 730 in the evening was there, and a sizable crowd of people it was already.
I would return to this outdoor stage repeatedly through the night, and constantly be disappointed by the lack of people there. But before the sun went down, this was seriously the heart and soul of the partAY.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
Another happening place is the drum n bass stage, but I suppose that is to be expected. Never did people stand around looking bored, and somehow, almost because of that, it became sort of dull. Throughout the evening I ventured over repeatedly, and always it was the same fast beats and fast dancing and (for me) fast leaving for another party - I don't know - not that I have anything against drum n bass! Au contraire, I even used to DJ it, but somehow the sound of the room was too pre-destined, if you know what I mean- it was clear what it was going to sound like, I was never surprised, and the thing is: I believe in free will, both in life and in music. You will have to pardon me, it's late as I write this, and this makes sense now.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
Coming up on 8pm, I forced myself to dance at the Turbo techno stage. I guess it was Crazy Sonic. But there were very few people around, and the room is just so BIG. The music was fine, but the mellow crowd had a psychosomatic effect on my dance moves. Eventually I just had to stop.
Around 8:20, I ventured out again, couldn't make up my mind, and went back to see the final hurrahs of the Young Punx set. This was fine, although not as good as I remembered the first half of the set.
Really did try to enjoy all of the stages equally, but kept finding myself drawn back to the main stage, for one performer or another.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
Sonic Cubes was basically good DJ sound, and nice visuals, with pyrotechnics and the DJs playing with flashing cubes on their heads. I stayed there for a while. My phone died, but I checked the time on someone else's.
Just after ten o'clock, and next on the menu was Paul Kalkbrenner...
Unfortunately there was a massive mob of people blocking the way to the main stage. I missed a good half hour of set attempting to get past somehow, and failing to find a good route that would return me to the main stage area. Fail.
Oh. What was the music like? He sounded good, I guess, pretty much like you would expect Paul Kalkbrenner to sound: electronic techno. There weren't really any surprises while I was there, except that he constantly had a cigarette in his hand; he chain-smoked like crazy.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
Went back to the Turbo techno stage - which still was frustratingly empty but doing a little better now. Danced with some friends, started feeling more into it, and started to lose myself just a little in the music.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
Then: some wanker smashed into me with his drink, kicked me hard in the shin, and I felt the skin split, and for one moment I wanted to smash his head in, but naturally I fought the impulse, simply tried to ignore this guy's douchey aggressive dancing and pretend it hadn't happened. But sort of dazed, I lost the vibe, and left with a friend at almost the moment that the DJ Set of Carl Craig came to an end.
Returned to the main stage and it was still Paul Kalkbrenner. I was not in the mood at this time, so I went outside backstage and instantly met this pretty girl who was there, working for the Red Cross.
We talked for a while.....but because she was there to work, she.. I dunno, had her feet on the ground, which gave her an advantage over me.
However, because there was nothing happening, and nobody urgently needing hospital attention, eventually she and all of the Red Cross people went in and danced to the beginning of the Fatboy Slim set.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
I found myself with a bit of a crush on this girl, which I so did not intend. Kind of almost ruined my party mood, by directing my otherwise completely scattered attentions.
Attempted to clear my head by jumping from venue to venue, which unfortunately led me to the same conclusions as ever. Turbo room was a little better at distraction, with Ricardo Villalabos well and truly bringing the techno sound to the dance floor.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
I kept crashing into people, which was odd because I didn't feel like I was so out of control. However, I saw an annoyed look from a person who could have been me an hour before, and decided promptly to check out another venue.
What can you do? Main room was where it was at -for me- and I returned for Deadmau5.
It all sounded (in a way) the same but at least in the main room there was the vibe, the dancing crowd of people, the jovial crashing into one another, and the music did seem to fit, as if we'd be dancing without the music anyway, and it was merely a soundtrack someone had composed after the fact.
I gave a good college effort to stay for the Pendulum DJ-Set at 5am, but eventually I just couldn't do it, couldn't bring myself to keep dancing. Some time after 4am, I asked a friend for the time..... her phone died telling me what time it was.
I took this as a sign to save some of my own personal akku for tomorrow. It had been a memorable party evening and I could go home satisfied, if in some ways a bit melancholy. Viva la Round Two.
Johnny Bliss, 2011
Saturday's UAF line-up features performances from the likes of Crystal Castles, Modeselektor, Deichkind, Simian Mobile Disco, Digitalism, Does it Offend You Yeah, and Camo & Crooked, just to name a few.