Delivering sonic therapy<\/p>\n
Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Master DJ Dave Seaman administered a nearly four-hour emotion-
\npacked mosaic of sonic samplings that absolutely mesmerized the
\novercapacity crowd of enthusiastic clubbers at Musro in Hotel
\nBorobudur, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The diminutive and chrome-domed Yorkshireman quietly crept up
\nto the stage without anyone noticing, gently skimmed his hand
\nacross the mixer and immediately the sound system's right-channel
\nfell silent throughout the club last week.<\/p>\n
Seaman glanced about quizzically, as if something was very,
\nvery wrong, and this certainly got everyone's attention. I'm
\nstill puzzling over whether this was an accident or else a clever
\nruse to boldly announce that the mixing booth was now occupied by
\nunquestionably the most distinguished DJ ever to play that club.<\/p>\n
This was the fourth occasion since the millenium that Jakarta
\nhas been fortunate enough to host a Global Underground DJ artist,
\nbut the very first time one of the label's long-established
\nmegastars has been featured.<\/p>\n
The other three -- Danny Howells (at Stadium), Sander
\nKleinenberg (Manhattan) and Anthony Pappa (Planet\/Club 1001) --
\nwere all relatively fresh international DJs featured on Global's
\nNubreed label, a label specially created to showcase new up-and-
\ncoming turntable mix-masters. Let us be thankful that promoters
\nsuch as DJ Agoose and 91.45 Indika FM are bringing these people
\nto Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Though only rated #17 in the current DJ Magazine reader's
\npoll, Dave Seaman has a DJ pedigree that reaches back far further
\nthan the tenure of most of those above him (not to mention that
\nhalf of the top 16 are also Global Underground artists). This is
\na lad who waited until the ripe old age of 11 before deciding he
\nwas destined to be nothing other than a DJ.<\/p>\n
Besides being instrumental in the formative days of the UK-
\nIbiza dance culture scene, he was also the first editor for
\nMixmag magazine, the founder of DMC\/Stress records, and the
\nproducer for many famous artists such as Kyle Minogue, Take That
\nand the Pet Shop Boys.<\/p>\n
He has also released the Buenos Aries and Capetown Global
\nUnderground remix collections, no less than three Renaissance
\ncollections, as well as inspired remixes from his production team
\n-- Brothers In Rhythm -- for Placebo, Garbage, Sting, Seal, Blur,
\nMichael and Janet Jackson, Bruce Hornsby and the Eurythmics.<\/p>\n
What Dave Seaman may be lacking in hair, he certainly made up
\nfor in sheer balls-out showmanship and DJing virtuosity that
\nnight. One almost had to hang onto something throughout the
\nroller-coaster ride of diverse musical moods he unleashed,
\nranging from short bellows of wicked dark trance, occasional
\ndollops of pulsing tribal, and even a minor pinch of some good-
\nold-plain fun and funky R&B.<\/p>\n
But more often than not we were treated to euphoric blasts of
\nsome of the most ultra-positive, progressive house and trance
\nknown to man or beast.<\/p>\n
And a very happy beast he was at times, wildly pounding his
\nchest behind the mixer, like some crazed musically-gifted
\ngorilla. No one thre<\/p>\n
Regularly overlapping up to 3 separate tracks at a time,
\nvirtually all the music was new to my ear, with the exception of
\nXpress-2's Slot Machine, Superchumbo's Revolution, and the
\ncloser, Chase The Sun by Planet Funk. But alas, there was to be
\nno interview, for he was whisked-off at 4am to immediately fly to
\nHong Kong for a gig the following evening.<\/p>\n
What impressed me most was the almost supernatural power that
\nMr. Seaman seem to exercise over the audience, carefully
\norchestrating every mood and action, including a "breathy-
\nsounding" mix-effect where everyone stopped to catch their breath
\nmidstream. Save for 3 quick piss-stops, Dave himself slaved-away
\nthe entire performance like a musical Svengal with a mission.<\/p>\n
The other feature of the evening I found most intriguing was
\nthe curious visuals provided by L&M cigarettes -- one of the
\nevent's major sponsors -- that were projected onto the massive
\nwall behind Mr. Seaman.<\/p>\n
Juxtaposed were two ying-and-yang-like rotating circles, one
\nportraying a series of devilishly seductive and subliminal images
\n-- flashing names of jet-set destinations; frolicking dreadlocked
\nRastamen, adventurers and female lovelies; all passing a
\nforbidden-fruit-like red L&M apple around the world from one
\nexotic location to another.<\/p>\n
The other circle, a fuzzy list of warnings (in Indonesian) of
\nall the many medical ailments that can accompany cigarette
\nsmoking (lung cancer, heart disease, impotence, etc.). These
\nimages continually swirled and danced to the music, as if engaged
\nin some sort of bizarre cosmic power struggle or balancing act.
\nA powerful vice, with it's obvious pleasures, that can never be
\ntotally eliminated; versus the potential price one has to pay for
\nit's indulgence; both clearly posted for all of free will to
\ninspect and to choose.<\/p>\n
This odd display was somewhat reminiscent of the many tough
\nchoices now confronting Indonesia, as to what path it should now
\ntake in this new and uncharted age. Just as Mr. Seaman's music
\ncovered a whole range of musical possibilities --the dark and the
\nlight, the hard house and the soft trance -- the answer seems to
\nbe not to one extreme or the other, but a direction lying
\nsomewhere within the middle.<\/p>\n
And just one final note to the organizers. Dance parties were
\nmeant for dancing, which is somewhat hard to do when the clubbers
\nare packed in tighter than a flotilla of canned sardines in
\noverheated chili sauce. A firm policy on maximum venue capacity,
\nincluding pre-sale of tickets, would both be most welcomed
\nimprovements in the future. 'nuff said!<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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