forums : Jungle Scene

NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

i have been to NY a few times but never got the chance to go a DnB show out here so when i heard camo-nyc was throwin a boat party (thanx chrisk) with Dieselboy n Dara as the headliners i knew i had to go.
12:30-3:30am sick... work at 8am not so sick =/ but f*** it i was down.

so i went and was a bit surprised at the turn out (50-75 peeps)
def. not hatin on NY, just surprised. but i was also informed later that Adam F n Fresh were spinnin elsewhere the same night

none the less i had a good time n met a few cool heads out here n heard some sick trax bein thrown down... we cruised the east river under all 3 major bridges n circled the statue of liberty then the same in reverse. very nice weather n all-in-all a good night
also from what i heard last night promoters have more competition with each other out here rather than workin together for a stronger scene

basically i feel that if the same party was in LA it woulda been goin off a little bit more (by a little, i mean a lot)

sooo NOT HATING, just my 2 cents.

anyone else have any NY input????

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

they have the most potential with all the sick venues but they squander thier scene it seems... :/

saw fierce at a DOPE underground spot out there and same thing, it wasnt even packed at all and he MURDERED it......

[ theserum - 1 Sep 2008 20:46 ]

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

I went last summer.
Konkrete Jungle was tight.
No one there.
I hung out at some bar called Negril
that had good reggae playing.
It seems that there should be more to do
in a town with 4am last call.
LA wayyyyyy better.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

isnt that why we see a lot of East Coast transplants out here on the West Coast now within the last few years?

=)

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

The real problem with NYC is the fact that money talks....just like anywhere else. So a rammed up club playing Top 40 and other gay ass s**t will always get all the venues on the weekends. Clubs out there will not be DnB receptive unless its drawing more heads and money than the other more popular styles of music, and at that point most junglists would be bitchin that its no longer underground anyways and still not come out lol.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

the same thing goes here, but we still pack clubs.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

theres a lot of transplants that go the other way too (*waves*), i've met many ex-californians out here...actually more so thus far than native new yorkers oddly enough. most come for work, school, or just a change of venue for a while. drum and bass isn't a factor in most peoples moves.

yeah the scene out here is smaller than LA, but that has to do with everything being 21+ so we don't have a lot of the young blood that fills up the venues in la. that and really, there is a lot going on in other genres of music, that really captivates more interest (indie rock shows, minimal techno, hiphop, and dubstep to name only a few). hell we had amex sponsor a free kode-9 show right across from the WTC site over the summer. that was awesome.

in my few months here, i think its more of it is a smaller crowd to cater to, rather than just a 'weak' scene.

i love this city, and i'm glad i have other interests besides drum and bass to keep me occupied. otherwise i'd be missing out on a whoooooole mess of other things.

[ chrisk - 2 Sep 2008 09:28 ]

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

**********
According to rebellion ...

isnt that why we see a lot of East Coast transplants out here on the West Coast now within the last few years?

=)
**********



Yes, and UK heads as well.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

What I have heard from my friends in NY, is that DnB is pretty much dead there.
Booking headliners in a city thats that populated and only pulling 20-50 heads?!!?

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

**********
According to pacolypse ...

The real problem with NYC is the fact that money talks....just like anywhere else. So a rammed up club playing Top 40 and other gay ass s**t will always get all the venues on the weekends. Clubs out there will not be DnB receptive unless its drawing more heads and money than the other more popular styles of music, and at that point most junglists would be bitchin that its no longer underground anyways and still not come out lol.
**********

I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it, but can you please not use the term "gay" on this forum as a way to describe something that you don't like? It's offensive to some people. There are gay people in our scene and I'm sure that they don't like seeing this word thrown around in a negative context. Thanks.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

^^Maybe Pacolypse meant GAY as in HAPPY?

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

If you try and compare other US D&B scenes to Los Angeles, they are going to fall short almost every single time.

The fact is that New York does have multiple long running D&B weeklies, and many other options to go out and hear the d&b sound. It may not be rammed every time around, but that fact that you have such options is a huge blessing.

I personally had a great time when I went out to Konkrete and Camo. Both had good crowds, and had really good energy. Even though Camo had a much smaller dancefloor than Konkrete - the crowd was waaaay hype, straight brockin' out crazy style the entire nite.

Never got a chance to go to one of the boat parties, but they sound pretty dope from the above description, and I know they have some big raves and stuff that go off too.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

Dave, did you wake up incorrectly this morning?! LOL =P

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

Chris...
How is the reggae?

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

^^^ yeah i know LA has a really strong scene so i guess your right in the "fall short thing"
i just always think of DnB as "city" music (bigger the city= more like minded people)???
but yeah i had a good time like i said.... i usually go solo to shows in LA too so whatevs
DOH!
(?LOSER? idk, most my good friends not really feelin DnB... WTF?)

also, yeah, i like/appreciate the many options in NY too!

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

FUCK THAT SHIT.... BIG BAD... L.A

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

topic of thread: LA dnb vs. NYC dnb

=

LA d&b > NYC d&b

(which was of the opinions of those west coast heads who compared the two scenes)





i mean, this IS "junglescene.com"", is it not? we're all into other types of music as well. let's stay on target, shall we?


THUS...


LA d&b FTW

and finally...

SoCali D&B FTMFW

(and you know thissssss, mannnnnnnn~)

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

i'm interested in how the adam f party did... anyone attend?

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

you are correct in terms of scenes yes, so cal has a much better one than really anywhere else in the US. you have more bodies attending, which means more money in the budget, which means more headliners and shows. having a lot of 18+ nights certainly helps the cause as well. i wouldn't call it dead out here, but i wouldn't call it the states most thriving scene either. it is what it is, i think i'm thankful there is anything going on here. though much like in la, i reserve my dnb nights for either a headliner i want to see (hasn't been much here since i moved), or if my friends come in to town to play. my scenester days of going out just to go out are long behind me. otherwise, there is a lot of other music i enjoy that i am happy to go see, as it is in abundance out here.

and bamr, reggae is everywhere out here. then again i just moved in to a neighborhood full of west indies peoples (people from jamaica, barbados, trinidad and tobago, st. lucia., etc.) so my neighborhood is covered in tons of reggae and dancehall show posters, not to mention the dancehall and soca i hear all weekend from my neighbors. but shows a plenty, and really it just depends on what you're in to. i'm not a huge dancehall fan so it doesn't really appeal to me, but i have found quite a few ska/rocksteady/skinhead reggae one off's and weeklys starting up. not to mention band shows coming up (aggrolites coming to town in oct!), slackers playing dates here and there...and yeah. i dig it a lot. my only problem with it is trying to get in their deejaying, you thought la was tough, try a city with double the population (probably double the dj population too). hehe

**********
According to rebellion ...

topic of thread: LA dnb vs. NYC dnb

=

LA d&b > NYC d&b

(which was of the opinions of those west coast heads who compared the two scenes)

**********

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

I know a lot of the NYC guys out there doin dnb for I have been playing NYC for over 9 years now.What you gotta understand is Dara is the equivalent of Machete or any of the big locals and Dieselboy has been playing NY for so long I can easily see them not drawing hundreds of people to fill the boat.
But comparing LA to NYC not worth comparing totally different ways of life.
Boston has had a long rise in dnb and NYC the same.
The amount of talent hidden throughout these places is remarkable.
Big time talent from around the world are moving to these type of places to be in the place not in the scene inside the place!!

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

NYC and Philly both have a similar scene. Its smaller most definitely but they rock out just as hard. I just moved out here from Philly about a year ago and I notice two big differences really...bigger scene here, and harder to get a booking lol.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

Seems weird a massive city like New York is struggling to fill venues?

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

Well NYC is def still conducting dnb buisness behind the scenes seeing alot of the worlds top talent have agents doing their stateside bookings out of NYC.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

You don't need to book A list Djs to fill venues. You can book up and coming djs and producers who are just as talented. Once you get a good reputation for yr nights you can build on them but start small and build it up?

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

Another issue to consider is the geography and sheer density of population...
culturally the further west you go, the more likely people are willing to drive or spend time traveling for an event. In NYC many need only leave their apartment and walk a block to get to their pub/club/bar of choice. Promoting may seem easier when people are living on top of one another - but it can be hard as hell to cut through all the noise much less convince people to step outside their standard spots.

Here in Houston we always measure distance by drive time... and you certainly see that in the northeast, but NYC has so many major metropolitan areas within 5 hours that most party-goers will take for granted the fact that some major headliner is playing since they could pop over to Boston or any other number of cities if they're willing to drive in the first place.

When I toured up in NJ and MA recently I made a point to stop by Konkrete. While I met a few cool people I was dissappointed to see 10 people at most in the place...

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

**********
According to chrisk ...



i'm not a huge dancehall fan so it doesn't really appeal to me, but i have found quite a few ska/rocksteady/skinhead reggae one off's and weeklys starting up. not to mention band shows coming up (aggrolites coming to town in oct!), slackers playing dates here and there...and yeah. i dig it a lot. my only problem with it is trying to get in their deejaying, you thought la was tough, try a city with double the population (probably double the dj population too). hehe

**********
The slackers are great live, and I grew up with the dudes from the aggrolites (Rancho Cucamonga High represent!), in fact, they introduced me to a lot of good reggae, ska, and rocksteady, good doods.
Sounds like fun.
And NY has the best pasta in the nation.

Hands Down.

Re: NYC DNB EXPERIENCE...

none of this is in comparison to NY but:

i will also say that a big advantage in LA is that we get a good number of girls at our events. Respect runs pretty much 50-50 on guy girl population at shows. I remember a promoter (in hip hop) told me to not promote to guys because if u have girls guys will come. For better or for worse this is true. Also i think in LA many people who come to parties don't live or die dnb (which is GREAT). i don't want a crowd of people just watching the mix, trying to guess every tune, criticizing the sound or mc etc.. i like we have a bunch of peopel who just like the music and want to party and can't tell u who say Moving Fusion is or can name every tune. I think it makes a party...a party (which in essence dnb at clubs is dance music not a concert). I don't go to a hip hop club to stand there and critique the dj and his selection, if a beat is good i dance cause personally i don't want to be super vested in that particular scene, i just want to let loose. We have a lot of people in the dnb scene here with that same attitude.

Also LA has many different scenes within itz big scene. Yeah at like EDC many SoCal djs/mcs/producers will see each other like backstage, but week in and week out i hardly ever have contact with OC junglists or see dnb heads from 818 etc.. I think it keeps things fresh. It keeps things fresh that there is a completely different crowd/scene in OC than there is in the 818 than there is out in West Covina or San Bernadino and Brush has a different vibe than Respect which differs from I Love LA which differs from LAX events. So when i do see people or peeps come together it is a little reunion of sorts and u get creative juices flowing on discussing projects ur working on, shows ur playing, what ur doing. Free flowing ideas.

i think that in LA we focus more on djs being able to rock the clubs and not so much on production (there are those who do both but on an overall). I would say a good dj who plays out regularly in LA can get up to 100 bookings a year. That is a lot. U can be just a DJ in LA and get bookings and need not to 'produce to play'. I think LA DJs thus have the experience of playing in front of 200 people (which in most other scenes is a wick'd night)...and some lucky to play for 1,000+. I think we master the art of DJn' which at the end of the day is the final distributor of the music to the people in a club. I even tell younger mcs that the best thing they could do is just get on stage, take ur lumps cause u learn more up there than u will practicing for hours at home. Plus this stiff competition makes everyone step their game up.

I'd also argue that in moderation LA is the only place in the USA that has accepted MCs. Which brings even more people to dnb (be it that they are moreso characters and each has a different style which different sects of peeps identify with). Also i think here our "OGs" don't just rely on their name to get them over. CRS? for example still rinses out as hard as he used to as does Machete, Heritic etc. (don't wanna go on name dropping), this makes the connection with OG heads in the scene to still stick around and give new heads a sense of history (it also makes it so that there are true adults in the scene, as in those who have some sort of wisdom and can lend insight from simple things to bigger issues).

there are plenty of other reasons too: DJs put out mixes, DnB peeps into dubstep/electro and other aspects of music, LA peeps in general are open to any type of music so long as the party is phat, the age of our scenesters range from 16-40+, clubs being 18+, weekend raves year in and out pump our scene with new younger 'junglists' etc..

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When i played in NYC the people were cool as hell, i was just depressed with the lack of organization (needles not 'standard' at clubs). I also think that there is so much to do in NYC in a different way than here. Yeah here we have lots going on, but if u get in ur car and are headed to a show, u are not stopping at a bar. When i played in NYC me and my friends walked to the show, stopped by 3 bars on the way, stopped to get food, stopped to see a band and almost was late. In LA we don't stop cause parking sucks so it is a blessing in disguise.

[ mc.xyz - 9 Sep 2008 15:19 ]