Is Boiler Room our MTV? Five recent sets that suggest so
From its inception in March 2011, The Boiler Room has quickly grown to become a leading musical outlet. The underground music show developed from a room in Dalston but its ambitions are international, and the spread of the format into other cities has been a rapid progression from online pirate radio show to something approaching our generation’s music TV channel. With chapters springing up in New York, Detroit, LA and Berlin and a broader musical direction, we’ve picked five recent mixes to document the rise.
The Congos
The Jamaican roots-reggae vocal group have been working on and off since the ’70’s and their deep dub sound featured in their collaborative album ‘Icon Give Thanks’ with Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gangras and the undeniable infulence has creeped into much of the UK dance scene today. They stopped by the Boiler Room HQ in London this week to have a chat with host Thristian and dropped a couple of faultless acapella harmony performances like it was nothing.
Physical Therapy
At the inaugural Boiler Room session in New York City, pop slanger Physical Therapy joined Lief, Shadowbox, Baauer and AraabMuzik to round off a strong local line-up. The boy came through with some big-time party hits, including more than one rambunctious remix.
Animal Collective
One of the experimental pop outfits of recent times, Animal Collective manned the Boiler Room’s new breakfast show. Without Panda Bear but still on form, group members Deakin, Geologist and Avey Tare kept the early listeners guessing for two hours with a sweet, esoteric selection.
Kyle Hall
It made sense for the Boiler Room to stretch to Detroit, a cradle of house and techno music and home to legendary producers like Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir and Mike Huckaby. The bill featured icons but a part of the new breed Kyle Hall, who also helped set up the event, showed his four-to-the-floor clout behind the decks.
Sticky
Showcasing the sounds that will always drive the locals mad, The Boiler Room returns to its original habitation for a collaborative night with London label Big Dada. The crowd lapped up a set of stellar 2-step from Sticky, backed by his MC Drapes, and it shows that whilst experimentalism is great a home of swinging syncopation is always nice too.
