Once again, John B, the make-up’d drum and bass electro fusion king, tore up Aperture last Friday with a killer 90 minute set that oozed of his mutli-genre’d madness we all know and love.
The eccentric producer and DJ kicked off his shift in his usual manner – with a hilarious unique intro that has become a staple part of all of his sets. This time John opened with the infamous ‘Hollywood Guy’ voice (you all know the one) which had the audience in stitches – before he got into full swing, showing the crowd why he was the #1 drum and bass DJ in DJMag’s Top 100 Poll. And as priceless as his intros are, there’s nothing better than seeing the wild-haired man don his trademark cyborg-esque shades (think of Geordi La Forge from Star Trek’s visor mashed with a pair of aviators - or just look at the picture) and start doing the robot to his own sounds.
John B has a style which no other DJ can emulate – he may have used CDJ’s and laptop but vinyl purists can’t really have a dig – the variety of different tempos, styles, genres and sounds the man can pack into one show is beyond ridiculous. One of the highlights of mine and, judging by the crowd reaction, many other’s nights was an awesome drum and bass remix of the Foo Fighters’ ‘Pretender’ and another of Nirvana’s Teen Spirit (you can hear these versions in the John B podcast embedded below) – they are both incredible reworks of two great songs, and they once again showcase John B’s unparalleled talent to mash any genre of music with another.
Occasionally addressing the super-charged crowd with his own microphone, John B sipped his favourite wine through his customised Aperture wine glass (again, see picture!) while effortlessly switching between liquid classics, club-influenced drum and bass rollers, electro, breaks and dubstep. Whether you’re a jump-up junkie or a neurofunk nut, John B will have you skanking your shoes off no matter what. And that’s what being a DJ is all about, really!
Like they always have done, the resident DJs and MCs really make Aperture what it is – no matter who the headliner is, the rest of the acts still have a big task on their hands controlling the crowd before and after the main event. Opening the night is always a big task regardless of how many people there are in the crowd – it’s the first DJ’s job to get the party started.
And that’s exactly what Cease and Sekkle did, who got the early birds into the mood for drum and bass with a four-deck set. The duo rinsed all four turntables and made light work of the often difficult task of having two men at the tables. They paved the way for regular Eddie Mace, who kept all the heads Cease and Sekkle attracted entertained for his 45 minute session, playing out the tunes he knows the fans love. The third pre-headline act was the insanely-skilled Mikey Ro, a fan favourite of the Aperture frequenters. As per usual he double dropped tracks left, right and centre – it’s as if DJing just comes naturally to this man. The perfect warm-up, then, for the oncoming John B.
After John tore the roof off Clwb Ifor Bach, local man Ransom proceeded to destroy what was left of the building (voted #1 small venue in South Wales). Like we’ve seen him do many a time, the DJ belted out banger after banger, including the priceless last track Ransom played as the lights turned on – DJ Hype’s remix of Fallen Angel’s ‘Hello Lover . As described by the man himself, it’s “jungle at its finest!”.
A special shout out goes to Reuben, who once again controlled the mic for almost the whole night. Reuben has a unique style when it comes to hosting, one that Cardiff has long come to love. You can catch Reuben on the online-series Cardiff Born Cardiff Bred (Google it if you haven’t already heard of it). Lyrical MC Lucas Rix took over for Ransom’s graveyard slot, providing the rhymes to the late night crew who partied till the early hours of the morning.
Mr Harris was once again full of praise for the ravers who came along for the shindig, as we spoke to the organiser once again.
“John B always does it for me, that’s why he’s a fan favourite down at Aperture and we can always rely on him to put on a huge performance. The guy’s such a gent and I’m glad he enjoyed our custom wine glasses as much as he enjoyed the wine itself.
“But I can’t forget the awesome residents who never cease to amaze me every week! I think we have some of the most talented locals of any drum and bass night in the UK, and you can hear why at every event.
“Last but not least though, I have to thank the crowd – without you Aperture would not exist! You really turn the nights into parties every time, and yet again there was no trouble. All I can say is thanks to all of you guys, and see you at Alix Perez on the 19th!”
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The eccentric producer and DJ kicked off his shift in his usual manner – with a hilarious unique intro that has become a staple part of all of his sets. This time John opened with the infamous ‘Hollywood Guy’ voice (you all know the one) which had the audience in stitches – before he got into full swing, showing the crowd why he was the #1 drum and bass DJ in DJMag’s Top 100 Poll. And as priceless as his intros are, there’s nothing better than seeing the wild-haired man don his trademark cyborg-esque shades (think of Geordi La Forge from Star Trek’s visor mashed with a pair of aviators - or just look at the picture) and start doing the robot to his own sounds.
