- In another life, Jack Adams, AKA Mumdance, could have been spending his summers in North America, touring with Kesha and Tiësto on the Mad Decent Block Party's lavish tour bus. After all, it was Diplo that gave him his first solo release as Mumdance, The Mum Decent EP, roughly six years ago. But instead, Adams spent August touring more modest venues in the US, both solo and with collaborators Logos and Rabit.
After a show at MoMA PS1 in New York, Adams headed cross-country for a series of dates on the West Coast. At Holocene in Portland, he played a 90-minute DJ set with support from Fade To Mind's Massacooramaan, who worked through a mix of deconstructed dancehall, footwork and reggaeton, recalling the kind of direction Mumdance was heading in under the Mad Decent banner.
Not that Adams has totally abandoned his past. Early on in his set, he dropped his own "Smasher," the opening track from the mixtape that introduced Mumdance to a larger audience, 2010's Different Circles. Its trebly bounce, oriental harps and infectious 8-bit hook had the crowd cheering in recognition. The local bassheads were just as enthusiastic when, moments later, he barrelled into a female grime MC chanting "Can't tell where I'm from / Is it Jamaica or England?" That cut signalled a shift towards a more contemporary UK sound. AJ Tracey's "Str8 Riddim," Riko Dan's "Gun Take" and his own "1 Sec" with Novelist are all tracks in heavy rotation on Adams' weekly Rinse FM show, and sounded great on a proper soundsystem.
The night got most interesting when Adams plumbed the depths of the hardcore continuum. Out came the obscure jungle records, 160 BPM hardcore cuts and nostalgic bits of UK rave. To close, he played the classical piano intro from DJ SS's "The Lighter" The mixing was either short and sweet or non-existent, as Adams let certain tracks play out before switching tempos. The crowd didn't seem to mind these disruptions to the flow; rather, they appreciated having the chance to applaud his selections.
After the show, which ended early at 12:30 AM in a music town more accustomed to concert culture, fans geeked out with Adams about long obsolete drum & bass labels. One crew had driven from Seattle, where they had caught him the night before. Adams was all smiles as the sidewalk banter rolled on, laughing and joking with fans. It was clear that he'd enjoyed the night as much as anyone.