From Philly With Love

Posted Tuesday, February 20, 2007 @ 06:14 in Music by Lara Kathleen

SWITCH at The Manhattan Room, Philadelphia 2/11/07

photos by Jon Gill and Enne, words by Jon Gill

Anyone who throws a party in the month of February in the city Philadelphia runs the risks of poor weather for their event. That's why party hosts, From Philly With Love, were so excited they got the high temperature of the week: 34 degrees. Deep in the heart of north Philly, only one block east of the city's largest elevated train station, a small night spot called The Manhattan Room opened it's doors on this cold Sunday night to electronic music enthusiasts. Entering the club, you got your first taste of Philly love as you are greeted graciously by party host for the evening and F.P.W.L member, Lorne.  
 
Starting off the night were eclectic opening sets by Jon Gill (man, this guy does it all!) and Steve Bloodbath which took listeners through a myriad of musical styles spanning more than 10 years. Gill's thoughtful selections including classics like Warp records, 'Tricky Disco' and Renegade Soundwave's 'Women Respond To Bass' were complemented by Bloodbath's rougher indie electro set which was infused flawlessly from time to time by house music classics like Hardrive's 'Deep Inside'. At the conclusion of the opening two sets,  the bar area began to fill up more consistently and patrons were able to enjoy vodka drink specials while at the same time shopping at the 'No Ego' merchant table which sold club gear including original t-shits and button designs.
 
As the 12am hour approached the dance floor was being warmed up nicely by live percussion, Toronto resident Cozmic Cat and her unique mix of house and breaks. As one of the three original members of From Philly With Love, the 'Cat' never fails to amaze when behind the decks. Her dj set broke conventional barriers by exploring electronica fused at times with jazz and some heavily sampled grooves with a funkiness that could heat up even the coldest nights.
 
By the time Dave Taylor (aka Switch) manned his specially set up dj booth on The Manhattan Room's stage, the crowd was ready to be taken to the next level. Armed only with his lap top, a midi controller, a mixer and two CD turntables, Switch soon was up and running in full fashion churning out what almost appeared to be a live set. With his eyes hard focused on his lap top, he tweaked his midi controller from time to time to create incredible build ups and drop outs that would induce the crowd to cheer in enthusiasm. Of course his most popular creations were included in his set such as the Futureheads 'Worry About It Later' remix which received a bit of a 'live' make over. However what brought the house down was his tweaking of  'A Bit Patchy' with it's signature samples and chanting beats which caused hands in the air and constant jumping by the crowd. Electro infused beats were presented through out the remainder of his set loaded with synth stabs and bass lines so thick and chunky, you needed a fork instead of a spoon just to swallow them. Excellent!

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