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-- Flex: James Holden (UK) - Bender - Arsen @ Circus Afterhours / Friday, January 30th
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Crazy night at Circus!

First hour Holden played some very smooth neo-trance tunes...some of those tracks had the most beautiful melodies.

Second hour was a mix of indie, breakbeats, some tracks close to rock. Some of that stuff was way too fucked up, not even danceable lol! Cool experience notheless.

Last hour of Holden's set was really good. hard to describe but it was faster more ''afterhours'', very linear techier and darker tracks. Amazing stuff.

Bender destroyed the place for 7 to 11. Some nasty morning tech that took a lot of people by surprise, it was really really good... kept the place full until close.

Damn, seeing these nice reviews from our MTL technoheads makes me wanna turn back time and be there...

i have to say, that my opinion is much different than what everyone has has been saying about james holden.

personally, i thought it was a terrible set. i thought the mixing was way off, and the track selection had absolutely no direction.

if i could describe his set in one word, it would be "confusion". it was way too experimental. maybe i was missing the whole point, but the feedback i was getting from the dance floor was very similar to what i was thinking.

thank god bender came on to save the day. he just ripped it.

but that's just my opinion.

everybody is intitled to there opinion, i thing that you are definitly beside the point, and that point is holdens set was (different) then any set usualy herd in the past year or so, maybe not at piknic. thankyou circus for bringing this gooood set of different but funky music for the real lovers of was is my heart for not the fame or the game but just the music

quote:

Originally posted by princesultan i have to say, that my opinion is much different than what everyone has has been saying about james holden. personally, i thought it was a terrible set. i thought the mixing was way off, and the track selection had absolutely no direction. if i could describe his set in one word, it would be "confusion". it was way too experimental. maybe i was missing the whole point, but the feedback i was getting from the dance floor was very similar to what i was thinking. thank god bender came on to save the day. he just ripped it. but that's just my opinion.

+1

There was no flow in his set, eveyone on the dancefloor I spoke to seemed upset with his set. Definetly, not someone I would see again and it is true Bender saved the day.

It's all a matter of opinion of course, he's definitely not for everyone, but if anyone was thinking they were gonna hear banging techno or fist-pumping tech-house they didn't really know who Holden is. He's something different in the electronic music scene meaning it's not typical four beats and you will hear experimental sounds, freakin' loud baselines, melodies that don't necessarily make you wanna dance but rather listen. I don't know, i wasn't high on any drug and from the looks of the dancefloor i was pretty much alone in that department so maybe I'm looking at it differently but I got exactly what I expected and it was well worth it.
Bender on the other hand sounded pretty much like any other tech-house DJ...I left after 20 minutes of his set because i can hear those kind of tracks at home. He obviously has a huge fanbase and I'm happy he kept the place packed until 11 but he doesn't really do it for me track-wise.

Listening to his Igloo fest set I can see where you are coming from. But to be honest I see many gems in his set, yea when your fucked off your mind and you want a heavy bass line it might not be the best, but if you just want to relax and have something to listen to it does the job and much more in my opinion. His set is definitely going on my Ipod.

James Holden @ Circus Afterhours

quote:

Originally posted by Fran666 asian guys bragging about their asian chicks... that's sooooo much better lol usually when a girl complains about a guy or a security agent sees a guy bothering everyone, that guy is talked to... second time he's out. That's probably the only thing we can do... other clubs should do the same, it's only worse in bars.

The friend I was talking about was white.

was nice seeing you at nebula yesterday, hope you got home ok lol

next time we'll stick with lots of vodka or lots of heineken... not both lol

I must start by saying this event was very different..
Lets take it from prime time...
Igloofest was a complete mayhem. It was amazing to see so many people come out there and celebrate the electronic scene. However, I dont think igloofest or circus are the right venue for James Holden.
Igloofest needs the DJ to interact with the crowd more often and feel em out.
Still it was alot better than what i had expected.
Music wise, it was really good.. I would say the highlight of his set at igloo was 4 tracks in total probably.
CIRCUS on the other hand was verryyy sketch.
Everyone was out on a mission seperate from the other.
You had you holden fans standing behind the booth, or trying to get his attention and take a picture with him, but ofcourse he was rolling on a whole nother level!
You had your randoms who had no idea who holden is but were just complaining why the music is so slow, especially when the guy opening was playing electro 2 mins before holden started.....
Holden's set was good, it was nothing exceptional, but i feel like circus was not the venue for it. The place was way too hot..way too packed..and everyone was confused. There were atleast 20 people with me that night, and they all felt that bender made it up for them .
I liked both sets, but i am just saying it would have been much better if it was in a different scene.

id give this hole shabang a 7 !
Passable event

Afterhour crowd is different from the Aria days it seems. Names like Holden should be at places like Piknik, Salon or Telus Theathre etc...

Picnic is pretty much like Igloo only in winter i find. I think Igloofest is a great venue for him because of some of the massive tracks he has that wouldn't fit in a place like Circus (listening to his set on my IpoD tracks like the one at 094:00 [which by the by has been ID'd in the tracklist forum as 94:00 - Cursor Minor - Exult] would never work in Circus). It's true he doesn't interact with the crowd but it seemed to have worked and he played almost 3 hours so I'm sure no one's complaining...

I do agree that Circus didn't really fit him too well, even though i enjoyed his set there more and i didn't find it to be so hot (i was one of those holden fans in the back..). His best set in Montreal to date was his Metropolis gig a few years back...it was absolutely mental and i wish he got booked there again or Theatre-Sans-fil is a good choice too..

quote:

Originally posted by Dj Nacht Afterhour crowd is different from the Aria days it seems. Names like Holden should be at places like Piknik, Salon or Telus Theathre etc...

Salon Daome would never work...haha not at all...

I liked a lot of the stuff he played at circus, didnt make it out to igloofest so i can't really compare his sets.

But yeah I definitely enjoyed what he played at circus...if you're only expecting straight 4 to the floor stuff then obviously Holden is not your guy..he thinks outside the box and its obviously not for everybody...but its definitely refreshing to hear him if your up for it but yeah its definitely music for the mind. The crowd was into it though, a couple of people had puzzled looks on their faces but for the most part I remember people dancing like crazy. Although the crowd was a bit too aggressive for my liking...

Whoever said his set was terrible and lacked direction...were you at the same club as i was? haha shiiiiiiettt..and im one who really isnt into the melodic trancy techno stuff at ALL ...i never listen to that stuff on my own time but if I have to listen to one guy play that stuff his name is James Holden.

quote:

Originally posted by julien2 will attend i hope people who will attend will believe he still plays trance i hope he does do a fucked up trippy groundbreaking set like he did at sonar two years ago and that people will leave and be pissed. montreal aint ready for the new holden i <3 james holden

i'm happy

so i got injured at igloo and skipped circus, but from the comments, i would have loved that set.

anyway, holden is not for everyone.

you have an obligation to get acquainted with what a dj will play. of course if you were expecting 4-to-the-floor trance beats you got disappointed. but that's not what holden delivers.

Brancatella I'm 100% with you.

Honnestly, I don't usually listen to a lot of Holden sets...unless I'm really in that kind of mood. But a show like that, once or twice a year, is a must.

I think it's really cool that we had a different booking in a Montreal afterhour. Really glad we double-booked him.

I can definitely understand how some people can be puzzled...I think that's what I like the most about Holden: you never know where he's gonna take you.

I have a lot of friends who weren't too sure about that sound but they just let go and ended up having a great time and loved the musical experience.

Funny also because there were mixed groups of tranceheads and techlovers all mixed together and appreciating the music on the same level...I though it was pretty cool.

quote:

Originally posted by Passskal Brancatella I'm 100% with you. Honnestly, I don't usually listen to a lot of Holden sets...unless I'm really in that kind of mood. But a show like that, once or twice a year, is a must. I think it's really cool that we had a different booking in a Montreal afterhour. Really glad we double-booked him. I can definitely understand how some people can be puzzled...I think that's what I like the most about Holden: you never know where he's gonna take you. I have a lot of friends who weren't too sure about that sound but they just let go and ended up having a great time and loved the musical experience. Funny also because there were mixed groups of tranceheads and techlovers all mixed together and appreciating the music on the same level...I though it was pretty cool.

You are forgeting a lot of people go to afterhours to get fucked and listen to fist pumping beats.

quote:

Originally posted by zeKsg You are forgeting a lot of people go to afterhours to get fucked and listen to fist pumping beats.

Fine. But it's also people's responsability to check who the artist is before going out to a special event.

quote:

Originally posted by julien2 you have an obligation to get acquainted with what a dj will play

quote:

Originally posted by Passskal But it's also people's responsability to check who the artist is before going out to a special event.

You cannot be serious.

quote:

Originally posted by Passskal Fine. But it's also people's responsability to check who the artist is before going out to a special event.

This is only true if you are actually going for the music and you somewhat care about the scene.

A lot of people who go to get fucked don't give a damn about who is playing... All they care about is that the are good and there is a constant beat.

quote:

Originally posted by zeKsg This is only true if you are actually going for the music and you somewhat care about the scene. A lot of people who go to get fucked don't give a damn about who is playing... All they care about is that the are good and there is a constant beat.

If i did drive from Hull to Montreal just for that does it means I went for the music? :P

Last time I went to circus was for Gareth Emery and Aly&Fila...I think ill keep going since they book DJs I like...

Circus made me love Trance and Minimal. By listening to a set at home, I don't get as much in the mood. Without lighting, without ppl going crazy around me, without having the DJ interract with you, I sometime am having a hard time appreciating some DJs. I almost never know who's I'm going to see, and I've almost always had awesome surprises. Best example would be Anthony Attala whos interraction with the crowd is just way too awesome and you could never get that listening to a set at home.

quote:

Originally posted by brancatella Salon Daome would never work...haha not at all...

I disagree, a nice private party with Holden there would kick ass.

quote:

Originally posted by Dj Nacht I disagree, a nice private party with Holden there would kick ass.

sound system is too weak


it would be a great party, but they need more basssss for big headliners like that

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