Sort of a Theo Parrish review. Amsterdam

[DJ76]

Well, I guess y'all can have a good laugh at this. We all know how much of a high opinion I have of Theo's production and how much I was anticipating to see him last friday. But it turns out that I'm going to have to see him another time to be satisfied as he just was not into it last friday. It's kind of sad but on the other side of the coin, it showed the human side of this man which maybe was trying to get that "legend" sticker off his back.

The night started with a local dj who played a very nice set, including tracks like "Dance the night away" which I really fancy. Then the MC grabbed the mic about 10 minutes before Theo came on, just prepping the crowd and hyping Theo. He shouted a few things and told people to get ready for the legendary Theo Parrish... I saw Theo grab his arm and sort of shake his head in discontent. The MC came back a few minutes later and announced again "the legend", and well, the legend shook his head again.

The legend started playing 4 or 5 tracks then stopped the music, grabbed the mic. Apparently someone threw something at him and he wanted to make it clear that he'd pack his shit and go back home if it was to happen again.

Then he went along, playing great music yet going into a very very mellow mood. He was rocking some tracks and it was great to hear FAR OUT by Crown Heights Affair or HEART BEGINS TO BEAT by Savage Progress or FREE by James Mason, but he was constantly going back to a mellow mood. The music was beautiful but not necessarly moving. I would say that 90% of the first two hours was strictly jazz music, broken beats and hip hop beats. And again, all of this I'm sure he always plays but the way he programmed it showed that he wasn't into it, the conditions and the environment was not playing in his favor and he just didn't seem too happy. The record skipped about a dozen of times during the night. That just threw me off. It was just one of those nights...

The venue was nice, club Paradiso, an old church transformed into a huge dancing spot, not big decoration, very raw looking. You could see the organizers put some effort into it, they had some visuals, at one point you had about a dozen of girls draped in white sheets and totally covered with white paint, dancing on a little stage and the visuals reflecting on them... a nice sight.

In any case, I left 3 hours after the beginning of Theo's set, at that point, 60% of the crowd had left, I was tired and disappointed a bit.

There is one song he played that totally blew me off, a rhytmic track with a broken beat, very deep keys and a male voice singing softly... couldn't make up the words, it was something like (and I know I'm wrong) "All I'm asking you ??? ... watching me" or maybe "all of the world.... watching me". Well, we know the last two words are right! What a track, so deep, so good!

Aiiight. I now retire. Woof!

[ March 10, 2003, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: DJ76 ]

[jurren]

i was also a bit disapointed... and a little drunk, so maybe my observations of the night aren't that great.

got in at 2:30 and theo was allready playing. one of the first songs i heard was trussel's 'love injection' and theo tested the eq's on that one. he played a wide variety of tracks, from hiphop to chaka's 'what you did', 'heart begins to beat' pitched up to about +8, the new soundsignature 'the light' and some broken beat, and a couple of ron hardy favorites.
but like dj76 allready stated never really got in a groove... kept starting over, stopping records and leaving pauses, to get back to another tempo. dunno what it was, but i think it had to do with the way the crowd was responding to his music. he wasn't dancing behind the decks either as i've seen him do on other occasions.
left at 4:45, and got home around 7:40 thanks to the dutch railroads graemlins/cussing.gif that really made my night!

jurren

[Red D]

And all the while you could have been grooving at the Fame Sucks party in Brussels, which is only a 2h drive Jurren biggrinangel.gif

Sorry it was a disappointment, I would have been there any other date.

RD

[erd]

VArious friends of mine who were there said the same things as Jurren and Alex. At the end of the day we are all human.

Peace,

Gerd

[DJ76]

Originally posted by jurren:
i was also a bit disapointed... and a little drunk, so maybe my observations of the night aren't that great.

got in at 2:30 and theo was allready playing. one of the first songs i heard was trussel's 'love injection' and theo tested the eq's on that one. he played a wide variety of tracks, from hiphop to chaka's 'what you did', 'heart begins to beat' pitched up to about +8, the new soundsignature 'the light' and some broken beat, and a couple of ron hardy favorites.
but like dj76 allready stated never really got in a groove... kept starting over, stopping records and leaving pauses, to get back to another tempo. dunno what it was, but i think it had to do with the way the crowd was responding to his music. he wasn't dancing behind the decks either as i've seen him do on other occasions.
left at 4:45, and got home around 7:40 thanks to the dutch railroads graemlins/cussing.gif that really made my night!

jurren left at 5am and arrived home at 8:30am... and Den Haag is only half an hour away by train! mad1.gif It was one helluva weird night I tell ya.

[imported_Gman]

Thanks for the review. To bad things did not work out that night.

-G

[erd]

But let's keep in mind, Theo Parrish IS an exceptional killer DJ, when everything is right.
And even if somebody is off, the audience should be at least respectful enough, not to throw things on the stage (except from Sunsplash Festival, JA).

Peace,

Gerd

[DJ76]

Originally posted by gj:
But let's keep in mind, Theo Parrish IS an exceptional killer DJ, when everything is right.
And even if somebody is off, the audience should be at least respectful enough, not to throw things on the stage (except from Sunsplash Festival, JA).

Peace,

Gerd I agree. A friend of mine from Bohn joined me in Amsterdam saturday and wasn't totally impressed. When we went back home, I made him hear a couple of CDs of Theo Parrish, to show him on what I based my opinion, some of Theo's records and some of his live mixes. My bud agreed that it was definitely just one bad night and that we'll have to see him again to enjoy a good set of his.

And yes, there's nothing worst than working in an unconfortable state of mind and environment: depending on one's character, you will get different results. Some might stick to playing records the way they always do, others who are more sensitive to what's around them will just not "feel" it.

Does anyone have a clue what song I'm talking about in my first post? The singer's voice sounds like Robert Owens meets Vikter Duplaix. A very "dreamy" track, strings, a bit dramatic. The beat sounds like something produced by Jazzanova or Koop or Buscemi, but the lyrics makes me think it's an american product, although you can never tell.

[erd]

I have no idea whick track you are refering to.

Peace,

Gerd

[danny webb]

Originally posted by DJ76:
[Gerd Does anyone have a clue what song I'm talking about in my first post? The singer's voice sounds like Robert Owens meets Vikter Duplaix. A very "dreamy" track, strings, a bit dramatic. The beat sounds like something produced by Jazzanova or Koop or Buscemi, but the lyrics makes me think it's an american product, although you can never tell. [/QB][/QUOTE]

the only two things that come to mind, are the two Shaun Escoffery mixes, which are:

Into the Blue - 4 hero mixes
Let it go - jazzanova mixes

Both recent releases on Oyster Music of late.

good luck/look

[ramar]

its a vague descripto but how about That Night (Wahoo mix) by Jazzanova & Vikter Duplaix

[DJ76]

Originally posted by danny webb:
the only two things that come to mind, are the two Shaun Escoffery mixes, which are:

Into the Blue - 4 hero mixes
Let it go - jazzanova mixes

Both recent releases on Oyster Music of late.

good luck/look Thanks, it isn't any of these two actually. The hunt continues ;)

[ March 10, 2003, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: DJ76 ]

[erd]

i also thought of "Let It Go", but the quotation didn't sound familiar?

Peace,

Gerd

[DJ76]

Originally posted by ramar:
its a vague descripto but how about That Night (Wahoo mix) by Jazzanova & Vikter Duplaix Thanks. nothing to do with "That night"

It has a 4 Hero "Star Chasers maw mix" feel to it, but a male vocalist, a 7am-half-empty-Shelter-in-the-old-Vinyl feeling... but that feeling is so subjective :D

[ March 10, 2003, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: DJ76 ]

[erd]

Is it on one of his Mix-CDs?

G.

[DJ76]

Originally posted by gj:
Is it on one of his Mix-CDs?

G. none on any of the ones I've heard, which includes Eclectic Aesthetic (sp?), These days and times pt.1 and 2... maybe I should check the others if there are any. But man, that track just killed, the guy's voice is awesome, I remember it peaks high at one point. Drove me nuts and I know I had heard this song once before, possibly in November but I can't say for sure.

[Jamie 3:26]

It sounds like That Night to me.

[DJ76]

Nah, I know "That Night", and the last two words of the chorus is "...watching me". Blah... I just should have been trainspotting ;)

[steffenb]

the night in amsterdam realy was a bit weired ;)
when the club would have a few places to sit down
and relax , i would have enjoy the night more beacuse most of the time he played sound to listen to and not to dance to ...

anyway ... does anyone know the names of the first four tracks he played ?

[danny webb]

Originally posted by steffenb:
the night in amsterdam realy was a bit weired ;)
when the club would have a few places to sit down
and relax , i would have enjoy the night more beacuse most of the time he played sound to listen to and not to dance to ...

anyway ... does anyone know the names of the first four tracks he played ? Way to request a track ID graemlins/lol.gif

[DJ76]

Don't know if it was the fouth or the fifth, but around that time he played BOHEMIAN by MURO... That was really nice. I'm getting flashbacks now, he played this edit of Powerline's JOURNEY, the bass-line stayed in my head the whole week-end. He played lots of funky stuff, but like steffenb said, a lots of it was beautiful music to listen to... and I usually dance to pretty much anything :D