- In record fashion, James Zabiela has gone from being an unknown UK DJ, to the man who is hand selected to open up for Sasha’s “Airdrawndagger” tour. James has developed a reputation for scratching over a wicked mix of breaks, house, progressive, and all things techy. After his first appearance back in August opening up for Sasha at Spundae Chicago, the man has been summoned back for a pair of headlining dates. Saturday, November 23rd represented the youngster’s third appearance in the windy city within a four-month stretch.
Spundae resident Hippolito Sanchez opened the nice with techy grooves, setting the mood for James. Around one o’clock in the morning, Zabiela came on to a crowded main room and played a flawless two-hour set that combined the finest elements of house, techno, and break beat. He finished his set with a nod to local boys Grayarea, dropping their upcoming track “Yewminist” (which is set to be released by Hope Recordings as well as featured on Nick Warren’s next Global Underground compilation from Iceland).
As always, he did his signature scratching over a variety of tracks – both break beat tunes and more techno flavored numbers. While it is undeniably refreshing to see a house DJ doing some scratching over records, it is questionable as to what exactly it adds to his performance. Regardless, James’ DJ skills are impeccable, and one can only begin to imagine what the man will be doing in 5 or 10 years’ time – both behind the decks and in the studio.
Following Zabiela, Dutchman Lucien Foort took over and played progressive house at its finest. From Elijah’s (yet another alias for producers Swain and Snell) “Deep Soul Music”, to the Deepsky remix of Torin’s “The Purpose”, the word best used to describe his selections would be: Relentless!
His set continued to lay on the bass, taking it up a notch with each successive track. Just when it seemed that he might be bringing things down a level, the next bass line would drop and madness would ensue. The man’s music is as intense as his looks (see the photos) – and all one can really hope for is that it won’t be too long before Mr. Foort makes his way back to the Windy City.
Overall, the night was a success. Spundae continues bringing in talent that may be lesser known in the States, exposing it to a new audience willing to take a risk. With upcoming appearances by such underground DJ’s as DJ Three, it looks like this will continue to be the norm as the New Year approaches and beyond.