Have you ever been to Bassik? Or any other Dubstep show? Did you have a good time? You should thank
Mary Ann Hobbs. Are you one of those guys or gals still brooding over what Rusko, Chase & Status and others did to “your scene?” Then you should throw your beer in Mary Ann Hobbs’ face. (Of course, you wouldn’t have a scene to cry about without her.)
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| Mary Anne Hobbs, seen here relaxing in her dining room. |
Beneath the persona of DJ Mary Ann Hobbs is Ms. Hobbs the journalist. She is not only responsible—through her almost decade-and-a-half long stint as the captain of BBC Radio One’s experimental show—for bringing UK Dubstep over to America from Britain, but also for introducing the sounds of Gaslamp Killer, Lorn and others to a global audience.
It was not just what she played—though she was certainly one of the early DJs to give airplay to the sound—it was how she played it. Hearing her voice say the name of your music was, and largely still is, the best endorsement you could get. By featuring experimental and unheard of genres, she pretty much lifted an entire family of sounds up from the underground and left a huge crater in global sonic culture. The wubwubwubs of critical darlings James Blake and Drake-endorsed The Weeknd? Those belong to Mary Anne Hobbs.
She is playing Thursday at the Hookah (see the flyer to the right and above) and you can expect her to spin unreleased tracks from anyone from the Brostep titans to Brainfeeder’s B-team.
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| Gonjasufi or member of Das Racist? Am I being racist? |
Joining Mary Anne Hobbs on her curated Road Warrior tour are Art/Official favorites
Gonjasufi and
Lorn, as well as a “Special Killer Guest.” (PROTIP: It’s
The Gaslamp Killer).
Gonjasufi is singer and rapper—also a yoga instructor—who does his thing over trip-hoppy, jazzed up production from the likes of Mainframe, The Gaslamp Killer and Flying Lotus. The first time I heard his voice was on Flying Lotus’ sophomore effort Los Angeles, on the DMT-Jazz Club groove “Testament.” The track began what seems to be a long and fruitful relationship between the two.
If you like Flying Lotus and The Gaslamp Killer and think you might dig voice and message of someone who would name themselves “Gonjasufi,” then come to the show.
The “secret” act is The Gaslamp Killer, who is one scary motherfucker. In the era of “so-called DJs” he is almost a relic. He makes mixtapes of his friend’s music and he carries around crates of records. His production, which we mentioned above, varies from the Brainfeeder mold to crazy-ass world music and old-old school hip-hop.
We recently wrote about Lorn, who came to visit along with Teebs and Mono/Poly,
here.
**Tickets for this show are going fast, so get yours today.
Click here to secure your spot at this unreal event!
Article by Jeffrey Silberman
