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REVIEW - Ultra NYC 9-22-06
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| Groundhog Boy |
OMG, you fockers all missed out. We got there at 4:45 expecting everything to be started based on reviews from last year and the # of acts, but nothing was happening at all. Waxman came on at like 5:15 after we'd grabbed a few beers, and played a few tracks I recognized, but really didn't do much. Part of it was that it was light out, and there were only like 300 people there, including staff. He played Ame - Rej vs. Lustral - Everytime which was kind of interesting to end his set.
Junkie XL was next and started off with his older stuff, then went into things from his new album that I'm not that familiar with. First five tracks were Red Pill Blue Pill, Beauty Never Fades, Fight For Your Right To Party, Coldplay - Talk, and Today. After that, no clue.
After JXL, Soulwax Night Sessions hit the stage dressed in all white. They absolutely stole the show. If you've seen what's on their Night Sessions CD, that's pretty much what they played. Among highlights were Soulwax - E Talking, Soulwax - Miserable Girl, Thomas Anderson - Washing Up (Tiga Remix). We'll upload videos later.
Moby was up next (and Benny Benassi was in the tent), and while he dropped some good tracks, he suffers from Oakey Syndrome in that he can't mix for . There were at least two hard trainwrecks in his set where it sounded like bowling balls. The plus of his set was opening up dark and deep and played some good remixes of his Play stuff. There was a good remix of Bodyrock and Porcelain. He also played some track in the beginning that sounded like Bad Boy Bill.
Digweed ended and HOLY !!! He played a great 70-75 minute set with a lot of stuff from his recent sets. At 9:50, he stopped the music and everyone started cheering for the encore. In less than 10 seconds, the music started, and within 3 seconds, I realized he was dropping Heaven Scent. :eyespop: :eyes: :eyes: :eyespop: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:
Between Soulwax and Digweed, the night was definitely worth the money. I'd have paid $40 to see Soulwax alone and am really kicking myself for not seeing them in Brooklyn last night and going to Cielo instead. |
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| dcctnycprincess |
| get your ass to the bunker |
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| Groundhog Boy |
| quote: | Originally posted by dcctnycprincess
get your ass to the bunker |
If yours is still sitting typing, we'll probably beat you there. |
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| dcctnycprincess |
| waiting for a friend to pick me up :p |
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| bogartgreens |
| quote: | Originally posted by Groundhog Boy
OMG, you fockers all missed out. We got there at 4:45 expecting everything to be started based on reviews from last year and the # of acts, but nothing was happening at all. Waxman came on at like 5:15 after we'd grabbed a few beers, and played a few tracks I recognized, but really didn't do much. Part of it was that it was light out, and there were only like 300 people there, including staff. He played Ame - Rej vs. Lustral - Everytime which was kind of interesting to end his set.
Junkie XL was next and started off with his older stuff, then went into things from his new album that I'm not that familiar with. First five tracks were Red Pill Blue Pill, Beauty Never Fades, Fight For Your Right To Party, Coldplay - Talk, and Today. After that, no clue.
After JXL, Soulwax Night Sessions hit the stage dressed in all white. They absolutely stole the show. If you've seen what's on their Night Sessions CD, that's pretty much what they played. Among highlights were Soulwax - E Talking, Soulwax - Miserable Girl, Thomas Anderson - Washing Up (Tiga Remix). We'll upload videos later.
Moby was up next (and Benny Benassi was in the tent), and while he dropped some good tracks, he suffers from Oakey Syndrome in that he can't mix for . There were at least two hard trainwrecks in his set where it sounded like bowling balls. The plus of his set was opening up dark and deep and played some good remixes of his Play stuff. There was a good remix of Bodyrock and Porcelain. He also played some track in the beginning that sounded like Bad Boy Bill.
Digweed ended and HOLY !!! He played a great 70-75 minute set with a lot of stuff from his recent sets. At 9:50, he stopped the music and everyone started cheering for the encore. In less than 10 seconds, the music started, and within 3 seconds, I realized he was dropping Heaven Scent. :eyespop: :eyes: :eyes: :eyespop: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:
Between Soulwax and Digweed, the night was definitely worth the money. I'd have paid $40 to see Soulwax alone and am really kicking myself for not seeing them in Brooklyn last night and going to Cielo instead. |
nice review man, now i wish i had gone...heaven scent..lucky focker:eyes::p always wanted to hear that one on a big system |
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| vtec junkie |
| I only wanted to go because of Diggers....I even had a free ticket offered to me. Oh well.:sadgreen: |
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| DJ Eco |
my message to Ultra Festival NY:
you gotta do better than that
...im not one to be close-minded to acts ive never seen before, and im definitely not one to prefer WHAT IM USED TO over WHAT IVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE... but the lineup on main stage just wasnt doing it for me... i was not feeling Soulwax at all (a lot of people werent, considering the tent was really packing up while they were on)... i love live acts, i love different music, but i really would have liked so many other live acts more than Soulwax... a Depeche Mode or Killers or Mars Volta or Royksopp or Sigur Ros or Basement Jaxx or Planet Funk or Infusion or Goldfrapp or Crystal Method or even Scissor Sisters would have totally done for me what Soulwax didnt do for me (just to show im not an ignoramus that wants constant house house house house trance trance trance, i really do appreciate different music out there, but after last night, not Soulwax's)...
...JXL totallyyyy had an awesome show, they should have put him at 8 instead of Moby... Moby was not doing it for me at all, an absolutely lukewarm headliner, i dont know what Ultra was thinking, if they were trying to get the whole New York legend thing on main floor going, he was the wrong guy to bring in, especially not while Benassi was totally ripping the tent...
...i was in the tent for most of Benassi's set, walking out and then back in to check if the sonic disaster, Soulwax, was done with their set... Benassi absolutely RIPPED the tent, everyone was feeling it, he played really rocked out minimal/electro, and the vibe was SO there (and so were the refugees from main stage)...
...i have nothing but good things to say about Digweed's set, he really BROUGHT IT, it sucks there was no afterparty with him (if Avalon or Pacha werent so HALF-ASSED, they woulda had them there, but its sad that a 19 year old has a better grip on the scene, and whats good for it, than New York's megaclub owners)... point is, Digweed rocked it, i was in and out of the tent (hate all you want) because Boris was ripping it simultaneously with Digweed... never was a humongous Boris fan but if it werent for his crowd and the vibe at his parties, i bet more TAs would be fans of his because he really is a good DJ... the vibe during Boris' set left a lot to be desired, after such an energetic reaction by the crowd to Benassi's set, but i was enjoying the beats there and on main stage both...
...when all is said and done, without me having been to Ultra in Miami, i can still say it seemed like an all too amateur attempt at a festival... the promotion was shotty at best and it showed in the attendance numbers, it was probably 50% filled if LUCKY... the lineup left a lot to be desired (even though i had a free pass, for 50$, when you compared the lineup u get in Miami for 70$, all u gotta say is "what the hell, man?")... sound was great though, and the light/display was on point for the most part, just think they need to step it up next year... 50$ a ticket festivals dont promote themselves... another thought for next time, but they should bring in more festival-friendly acts such as Infected Mushroom or Plump DJs, to name a couple (theres so many more better choices they could have made for the lineup)... Moby was not festival-friendly and as much as i liked Digweed's set, i wouldnt have chosen him as the headliner, at least for the New York chapter of Ultra...
...i had fun with my friends, as always, but if i had to grade the festival, i'd give it a 5.5 at best |
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| DJ A.K |
| So it seems that Benassi started ripping it in the festival, and continued just that in the afterparty --- for which you guys should read my review. But if what Eco says is true, that's really too bad for New York's club scene if such a shoddy festival can be pulled off. |
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| j_love01 |
| I haven't heard Heaven Scent since the Delta Heavy tour...lucky bastards! :eyes: |
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| DJ Eco |
| quote: | Originally posted by Groundhog Boy
After JXL, Soulwax Night Sessions hit the stage dressed in all white. They absolutely stole the show. |
every1 has their opinions but Soulwax far from stole the show... as talented as they were in my opinion, their music had no substance, it just wasnt good music and the emptying main stage (and steadily filling up tent) showed that people agree with me.... i didnt see excitement or anything, just an attempt by the people who were there to try and groove to it and make the most of a lackluster lineup.... i saw excitement during JXL's performance though, it's a shame he was SO early
:( |
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| squats |
| WTF!!!! Im pissed i wasted 50$ for this bull. I wasnt feeling any of the sets at all...... moby equaled snooze fest, those in dudes in white suits zzzzzzzzzZZZZZzzzzzz, im sorry guys but i thought junkie xl was in LAME AS HELL!!!!!! first of all, is he even a dj or was he just playing a cd? second of all his first song set me up for a major dissapointment cuss every song after that bored the hell outta me. O.k heres what i did like...... John Digweed, he in rocked but his set definately shouldnt have been a headliner. I ended up leaving live 30 or 40 minutes early cuss i was just so dissapointed. Word of advice to UltraFest..... GET SOME GOOD DJ's NEXT TIME!!!!!!!!!! And i know im not the only who feels the same! for 50$ i couldve got really ed up and just listened to music at my house and had way more fun. |
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| Groundhog Boy |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ Eco
every1 has their opinions but Soulwax far from stole the show... as talented as they were in my opinion, their music had no substance, it just wasnt good music and the emptying main stage (and steadily filling up tent) showed that people agree with me.... i didnt see excitement or anything, just an attempt by the people who were there to try and groove to it and make the most of a lackluster lineup.... i saw excitement during JXL's performance though, it's a shame he was SO early
:( |
You were obviously more concerned with the crowd and what they were into at this point than I was. The place was empty all night and by the end of JXL's set, as the sunset approached, I just started viewing the event as my own private performance.
The one thing I will say is that Soulwax's set probably wasn't for most of the people there (but then again, neither were half of the acts that you listed in your review). It's really hard to listen to music that's that hard and dark when you're all cracked out on E and mollys, as most people there were (I personally witnessed at least 5 people dropping before it even got dark).
If others want to dismiss my perception, you can read the reviews of their Brooklyn gig here - http://www.rhythmism.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44222. If you look at the videos on there, the lighting and visuals was a lot better @ Ultra. Sorry it wasn't your thing, but it was an amazing performance, IMO. I'm guessing you probably won't like Tiga this Thursday, either.
I do agree that JXL should have been after dark, giving him the benefit of the lighting and that Moby's set didn't really need it.
Also, I wanted to add that the visuals and lighting were top notch. It really is too bad that their promotion was so bad and no one came, because the music and visuals were worth the money. |
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