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Event review: Lee Foss @ Elixir, Orlando

So it turns out that I haven’t been out dancing in TEN MONTHS! The last time I went out dancing was in December. No wonder I’ve gained like 30 pounds. I used to go out dancing every weekend. Sad!

I received Lee Foss tickets for my birthday, and while I hadn’t heard anything more recent from Lee Foss than “U Got Me” (2010), “Electricity” with Anabel Englund in 2012, and Hot Natured (2013) I was excited that MAYBE, I might be able to get a quality show in Orlando, with great vibes from both the crowd and the music.

The last time I saw Foss was in New Orleans for Buku Fest 2015, where he played a set on the Back Alley stage. It was an alright set, and I say that because I can’t remember it. He played music that was good, I danced to it, but the set didn’t really stand out. Julio Bashmore on the other hand... woo! seriously, don’t get me started. Anyway, the venue for the Lee Foss event was new for me: Elixir, in downtown Orlando, right across the street from the famous (infamous?) iBar. 

After the shit show that is parking in Downtown Orlando after 11pm, we arrive at the venue around 11.30 and I was instantly annoyed with the line. Orlando likes to pretend that is a late night city and venues aren’t usually swamped before 11:30, so it had to a line holding tactic, to make the venue seem like it was bumping more than it actually was. The girl at the door was constantly distracted by some just-over-the-age-limit space cadet thots squealing about how they remembered each other from high school, but we finally got inside around 11.40.

It was horrifying, fellow house enthusiast. Horrifying. The main room was dirty and just as empty as I predicted, with a couple dazed looking frat boys sitting at the bar. Turns out that the real music was being played on the patio outside.

Long story short: it was hot. There were no fans. It was semi-crowded around 11.30 with just enough room to dance. We left the dance floor for a drink and turned from the bar to find way more people than the previous half an hour, and by 12.30 when Foss came on, there was barely room for us to drink in the humid, Florida atmosphere.

What is with this new culture of taking up room on the dance floor to talk to a group of friends or text on your cell? I am literally being pulled and pushed by people trying to get closer up in the negative space that exists near the DJ booth, but then to not even dance once you get there?

The music for the night was alright. It did not get as tech house as I expected, per Orlando’s MO, but Foss could have definitely wow-ed us with more. What do you think? Am I getting old?

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Searching for afro-xxx music.

African beats in anything is a quick way to catch my attention. I have been dancing to drums since I can remember because one of my dance teachers had a particular affinity for the sounds. So, combine the tribal beats with those loud and in your face brass notes and the beautiful African languages and you have yourself a recipe for a happy Sen. 

That’s me, by the way. Nice to meet ya!

The first instance that I can remember of really being into any African or African-influenced music is the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Since it was being held in South Africa, FIFA had some local talent (and by local I mean, we Americans don’t know them, but the people of South Africa did) to perform. My favorite of the performers were Amadou & Mariam, supported by an awesome band and backup vocalists, and that were cool enough to NEVER TAKE DEM SHADES OFF BOYYYYY!

Anyway, they performed two songs, I think. But the one that stuck with me, named “Africa” appropriately enough, had an catchy melody, the beats that I liked, Amadou had that African lilt in this singing voice that I can’t get enough of, and what seemed like some fun callbacks, if we had known the lyrics. This is the best video that I can find of the performance, thanks YouTube!

I didn’t really pursue the music at the time, but rediscovered it, mixed in with another genre that holds a big piece of my heart: AFRO-HOUSE!

I was visiting my grandma in Miami, popped into The Electric Pickle on the night of the Bolero Ball, with Lazaro Casanova. Casanova is a self-identified afro-latinx (I’ll go down that rabbithole in another post) and was able to guide me down the path of righteousness to afro-house:

https://soundcloud.com/lazarocasanova/lazaro-casanova-little-havana-mix-001

Fast forward to today, I’m looking for your suggestions on any afrohouse, afrobeat, or afrofunk music. If you’re not sure what any of those sound like, check out some of my favorites below. “Ariya” by Tony Allwn with Africa 70: https://open.spotify.com/track/42GoPGtETikHWDqoXsJOiX “You No Fit Touch Am”** by Dele Sosimi: https://open.spotify.com/track/4qy4WuKTbBxQ1JTbsqIsgN

** theres’s a dope remix of “You No Fit...” by Medlar: https://open.spotify.com/track/1AeakTSnBi5waUXkP1CcRa “More Heavy (feat Kaleta)” by Bosq: https://open.spotify.com/track/4xqaOOgbXDqkRQoI6YVnzU

“Kuar - Henrik Schwarz Remix”* by Emmanuel Jal: https://open.spotify.com/track/5miSR58RxO331w6niqtlTC

*This song is awesome; apparently asking for people not to be fooled by the corruption in Sudan and to go vote “Sene Kela feat. Laolu” by Mr Raoul K, Laolu: https://open.spotify.com/track/2q4Cmh6aty19e5Y2draZyj

“Too Much Information - Laolu Remix” by Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra: https://open.spotify.com/track/1mHdnrcPMlhwFqMrsS9Kbx

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imo: Lovelee Dae (Amine Edge & Dance Remix) - Blaze

“Lovelee Dae” (1999) very quickly became one of my favorites after discovering it summer of 2015. The song just has so many feel good elements: the riding house cymbal to keep you grooving, the little dee-doo-ree-do sound in the background (I have no idea what instrument that’s supposed to be, if any,) the happy lyrics (”It’s a lovelee dae, and the sun is shining; everywhere I go, I see children smiling;) it’s a house classic!

I’ve always been a big fan of the g-house movement that Amine Edge & Dance seem to have revived and so naturally, I wanted to check out the remix. I did not know this AE&D remix existed until this morning, when I tried a Spotify search for the Blaze original. Update: it was apparently dropped on Sept. 29th. I like that AE&D cut out all the lows in the chorus so that the lyrics “It’s a Lovelee Dae” and “...and the Sun Is shining” is echoing with no background accompaniment and prepping you for the 808 that comes back in the next bar. The duo also managed to shave a minute off track length as compared to the original which, to untrained ears that hear the same 2 minutes of similarly structured music, might be a blessing.

All that being said, the Amine Edge & Dance remix fell flat and left much to be desired, in my opinion. The bass and the sample from the song don’t mesh together for me. Although the track is your textbook definition of a remix (as in they moved some elements around to make it sound like something new,)  there were not enough manipulated elements in the song to make it more appealing than the original. Then, the parts that were manipulated don’t fit. In fact, the song sounds a lot like the original, except remastered so that “Lovelee Dae” loses some of it’s lo-fi charm in the remix. It was too simple!

Simple has worked for Amine Edge & Dance before: they released a brilliant rework of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style” under the name “They Call Me Jack” in 2013. Blu’s vocals were layered over a g-house beat, produced by the French duo, that worked brilliantly in a lowered key. 

I hope that this remix isn’t a disturbing start to a new trend of repackaging house classics for the masses. I will ask you to stop it right now, unless you’re going to do these classic bangers some justice.

But hey, they tried something new. I’m definitely biased in my love of all house of the French kind, but props to Amine Edge & Dance for trying to make a lil’ somethin’.

Listen to “Lovelee Dae” (Original) by Blaze: https://open.spotify.com/track/3CUZhJEreKw7B80VTL9K6e

Listen to “Lovelee Dae” (2017) by Amine Edge & Dance and Blaze: https://open.spotify.com/track/6rHyMTHlEn0ukuL4XRhG7X

Listen to “They Call Me Jack” (Original Mix) by Amine Edge & Dance: https://open.spotify.com/track/2ksn4fzRpShpxzPs8tFVSX