This.is.Sick sprung onto the Chelmsford scene with its unmistakable brand of electro, bassline and techno on two occasions: the Christmas bank holiday 2007 and the Easter bank holiday 2008. What it provided was a bass-heavy attack on like-minded people, leaving them with a feeling of optimism over the future of Chelmsford nightlife. There was a real buzz, people began to realise that there was more on offer in Chelmsford than the trashy, gut-wrenching Dukes Experience. This was not an immediate realisation; the coming of age of the Chelmsford’s underground club scene had been set in motion way before – so where did it all begin?
Historically, Essex has been home to some remarkable dance acts and movements – UK garage thrived here, The Prodigy came out of Braintree and pirate drum & bass stations have been ten a penny over the last decade. But what we associate Essex’s dance scene with is not what is being vented at TIS. TIS draws its influence from wider catchments than UK garage or D&B – naturally, these sounds do exist intrinsically, but the heart and soul of the music we play spans out much further. We do not relate to Modern day hip-hop, gangster rap, or grime lyrics – we appreciate the darkness of the streets but we do not aspire to survival in a cutthroat world by way of an aggressive tongue. Instead, it is the sound of the wobbly bass line, the terrific snare and offbeat high-hat that reaches us. We are eighties children – we were brought up on Transformers and Corey Haim – twinkling synthesisers and Air Jordans. Our role models were the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Micheal J. Fox before he got Parkinson’s. Our elder brothers and sisters were ravers - they discovered ecstasy and glow sticks, and how to testify their love for someone they had never met for an evening/night/morning to never see them again. Our parents listened to The Beatles, northern soul, punk, funk, reggae, Motown soul, rockabilly, no-wave, new-wave, PETER GABRIEL (and so have we). The day we discovered Kraftwerk was possibly the most important day of our lives. All of this has affected us and it is there in the music we produce, play, listen to and dance to.
This.is.Sick embarks on a monthly residency @ Bar Toucan on the 18th July 2008.
August 8th 2008 – This.is.Sick presents… The Broomfields mini-fest Launch Party.
August 30th2008– In association with This.is.Sick, The Chelmsford Ravers, Nobody Don’t Dance No More, Strong.Look – The Broomfields Festival.
Check: www.myspace.com/thisissickchelmsford
words: Adam Saville
No comments:
Post a Comment