LTJ Bukem @ Syrup (26/12/02)
Reported by seac Friday, January 17 2003
Though many on the mainland didn't realise, Boxing Day night was LTJ Bukem & MC Conrad's first appearance as part of their Australian summer 2002/03 tour. Much more than a warm up for the bigger cities, Bukem and Conrad threw themselves straight in the deep end at their Hobart gig playing an extended 3.5 hour set and lapping up the appreciative and warm welcome from the Hobart crowd. After visiting Australia three times in the last year and a half, Bukem and Conrad finally made it to Tassie thanks to the efforts of the Future Elements boys.
Being held on Boxing Day, the crowd that packed both upstairs and downstairs Syrup was a mixture of Hobart crew, both new and old. With many ex-Hobartians returning home from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth for the festive season, Syrup was awash with recognisable faces. Heading south for their slice of drum n bass mecca, north, eastern and western Tasmanian drum n bass heads made the trip to Hobart to see their heroes, Bukem and Conrad. A night for the true fan, Syrup was flooded with punters who truly wanted to be there. With only 400 tickets on offer, the venue was packed out by a dynamic and appreciative crowd who were ultimately there for the music.
The night was off to a good start with local djs, Adam Turner and SpinFX warming up the crowd with classic dnb tunes. Then at something-after-two, Bukem and Conrad made their way through the crowd to the stage at upstairs Syrup, escorted by friendly Syrup security. Not ones to mess around, the British drum n bass legends launched straight into their set, dropping a track as soon as SpinFX was off the decks. While space was hardly at a maximum, Bukem and Conrad were given free reign over the stage, with Bukem placed in his usual position well behind Conrad, who mic-in-hand gazed out from the front of the stage, far into the darkened depths of the club. Already filled to capacity, the appearance of Bukem and Conrad saw a surge towards the stage making it nearly impossible for people to dance. Thankfully, more intelligent punters made the most of the multi-speakered, Celestian sound system and were content to stay around the corner and towards the back of the club, without the sight of the Bukem and Conrad but with a lot more room to dance. The crystal clear quality of the Celestian sound system transformed syrup into a cavern of perfectly pitched sounds, defined beats and ample bass, providing optimum sound to even the far corners of the room.
Bukem started the night off with his signature sound, the funkier, more atmospheric side of drum n bass, but sure enough the music became deeper and darker as the night progressed. In turn, Conrad launched into his MCing on a fairly mellow note but after figuring out that the crowd was amped and ready to party, both he and Bukem turned it up a notch.
Tight mixing meant contrasting tracks slid slickly in to each other, soulful, vocal tracks seamlessly became deeper, bassier, darker. It is this kind of mixing talent that has made Bukem famous, along with his supreme musical knowledge. It is no wonder he?s known as the innovator of ?intelligent? drum n bass. Creating a vibe is what both Bukem and Conrad are known for and that?s exactly what they achieved during their set. While Bukem steers the vibe, Conrad definitely enhances it. His talent is unfathomable. Shifting from lyrical Mcing, to poetic rapping, to velvet-rich vocals and back again, Conrad had the crowd in the palm of his hand for the entirity of his performance.
Throughout the night Bukem mixed and minced the heavily-layered rhythms and beats, providing a relentless backdrop for Conrad's lyrical treats. Best described as eclectic, the set saw the Bukem and Conrad union provide exquisitely mellow, atmospheric moments before launching into harder, faster, darker drum n bass.
While classic tracks, "Music" and "Demon's Theme" failed to make an appearance, Bukem fulfilled a request for "Rainfall" as the last track of their extended set. With sunlight filtering in through the darkened windows, Bukem and Conrad finished up by thanking the "Hobart crew" before heading to the bar for a well earned drink. Bringing the night to a close, local Jamm kept the dnb flowing as both Bukem and Conrad chatted with the punters.
All up this was an inspiring and memorable night, not only for drum n bass fans but the local dance music scene as a whole. If the response Bukem and Conrad received from the local crowd is anything to go by, it looks like Hobart will be welcoming the boys back when they return for their next Australian tour.
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