Vancouver, you’ve gotten all tribal and tropical on us and when I say that, I’m not just referring to the smattering of local DJs who’ve suddenly realized that bass music can sounds good at house tempo (see UK Funky and Moombahton).
No, I’m talking about the frenzied adoration being shown to No Gold and Basketball, two stone cold locks for next big thing status in this city that aren’t related directly to Black Mountain.
No Gold are big with the kids. One risks being hung by the hipsters but this is what Vampire Weekend should’ve sounded like. As close to Fela as they are Arthur Russel, their new album is this delirious, ever shifting series of patterns on the inside of your eyelids. Mandalas for the hips, vibing on what Vancouver could be like if it was warm all year round, as opposed to folks hiding indoors, smoking weed and trying to imagine warmth.
Then there’s the swirling Basketball/Hyenas axis. As likely to be found playing with No Gold as they are the local dubstep community, they are simply brain ruining. too much ecstatic goodness for most audiences to take in, leaving even the hippest of hipster gesticulating like the highest dervish. It’s traditionally eastern, it’s percussive and it’s got a massive bass lift. Imagine the work of Filastine or DJ/Rupture defined for live band but yet completely different. Streetcorner funk at 3 am, trans-continental and transmutational.
With this kind of goodness, it’s enough to make people actually stay warm in All Wet city, After all, that not rain, it’s sweat.