Don't ask me what happened with my first attempt. I'm as dumbfounded as you are. Anyway...

So where to begin? I arrived at the club at 10 pm, where I saw Matt Leutwyler who told me that Holden arrived in Philly the same time I myself got to the club. Matt Kling went on at 10:30 pm and was a bit slow for my taste. Leutwyler finished things off with he and Joshua Ryan's bootleg remix Coldplay - Clocks (which, if you haven't heard, is amazing).

Holden arrives at 11:45pm, where I shook his hand and wished him a good set and good luck with his new label "Border Community" (www.bordercommunity.com) My first impression of James: completely egoless. Always smiling. Totally down to earth. You wouldn't know you were standing right next to a musical genius if no one told you.

It's 12:30am and Holden comes on to a packed house. His first track is one of the first releases from Border Community done by Bruce Aisher from Brancaccio & Aisher. My apologies for not remembering the title, but it was very dark, but edgy in an experimental way. He had one major trainwreck which came early in his set. It made everyone stop and look around for a few minutes, but he rebounded with his sick re-edit of Milieu by Scape One. The highlight of the night for me was Holden dropping the SLAM remix of "We're Only Science" by Dot Allison. He kept the crowd dancing all night long. And just as I expected, his music was simply very beautiful. He track selection spanned passed borders of progressive and into techno and trance. For as much bashing as he gets as a DJ, he definitely has a very wicked style, sometimes dropping slowed down techno tracks, and sometimes making his songs come off harder as they individually progressed. He was done by 2:15am.

I had a chance to chill out with him after everyone went home. He told me some pretty interesting things. Here is some cool info for everyone:

Later this year he's coming out with the Balance 006 Mix CD Series for the Austrailian "EQ" label...

He played 2 new tracks from his new label "Border Community" (focusing on experimental styles)...one, as previously mentioned, was done by Bruce Aisher from the Brancaccio & Aisher (which was the first track he played), and the other from this 19 year old kid named Petter (Holden said if you like his remix of Into the Dawn, you'll like Petter)...

If/When everything gets settled with his label Silver Planet, all of his releases on Border Community will come out simply as "Holden"...

Even though it might seem like he just horseplays with his equipment to come up with some of the fucked up music he creates, Holden says that there actually is a formula to everything, though he was very vague in explaining further ...

Contrary to popular belief, he doesnt have beef with NYC...he loves to come spin again...that's right, AGAIN...he told me he actually spun @ LimeLight in 1999 for a Silver Planet party which he said didn't go well at all...Holden said that a few people, including yours truly, have strongly pushed for ARC for his return...

And he has no ego whatsoever...he's the friendliest DJ i've met since John '00' Fleming...

Partial Tracklist:

Leama - Requiem for a Dream

Petter - These Days

Scape One - Milieu (Holden Re-Edit)

Argonout - Max Porte

Dot Allison - We're Only Science (Slam Remix)

James Holden - Nothing (Original Mix)

Mainline - Innerspace

Underworld - Two Months Off (a bootleg version from a london DJ)

Rui da Silva - Feel the Love (Vocal Mix)

the last song that he ended with was his new track...still untitled...very technoey...

I can honestly say that last night was one of the best nights I've ever had in Philly.

___________________
Toooo beeee geeeeeiiiisha...u mus hav abirity...stop men ded in twak...

Last edited by Highmay on Mar-20-2003 at 22:25