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Tucked away above the confines of Breakers, a
Sri Hartamas pool and
foosball hangout that has grown increasingly popular
with the college set,
was the new home of Loops Collective’s Drum
n Bass Sessions – China Max. It was a Merdeka
to remember for this newcomer to Kuala Lumpur’s
transient club scene because the venue was encouragingly
filled with bass-deprived junglists thirsting
for some action after a long dry spell for local
breakbeats.
 China
Max’s Sinocentric decor is reminiscent of
a Chinese temple, with spiral ‘joss sticks’
hanging from the ceiling, and a pair of figures
resembling the Chinese ‘god of war’
adorning the DJ console, which towers over the
bar ominously. All this is bathed in a deep red
glow, pressing the temple theme further. However,
the smallish room, about the size of Bangsar’s
Bilique, seemed have been decorated by a slightly
confused designer, as ghostly European masks in
glowing glass panels lined the room as well. But
even with this discordant element, the party still
turned out a winner for Loops.
The night kicked off rather slowly, with Loops
and Bionic DJ Academy boss,
Low, playing to a handful of people. Our local
dnb kingpin, who now oversees the music policy
at China Max, played a brief set of atmospheric
drum n bass, occasionally mixing in some darker
sounds. This, however,
changed by the time midnight rolled around as
the dance floor was crammed with not just hardcore
drum n bass enthusiasts, but people who just plain
wanted to have fun as well. The night carried
on with the debut set of Bionic-trained DJ Nujita
who played some old school jungle before
introducing some harder ‘jump up’ style
tunes by the likes of Aphrodite.
The obviously pleased crowd responded energetically,
even singing along to some familiar vocal tunes.
The controls were then handed back to Low, who
mixed up a variety of newer tunes with some old
classics, causing dancefloor consternation.
Following that, DJ Mac fast-forwarded the music,
playing a heavy, mind-bending mix of the latest
dancefloor smashers including Pendulum’s ‘Vault’
and Hive’s Matrix Reloaded inspired ‘Neo’. Mixing
entirely with software
technology, he gave us a glimpse into an
alternate future where DJs can
exist independently of vinyl.
Mac was followed by DJ Carnival of the USA, who
made a brief guest
appearance and mixed in the helter-skelter sounds
of Bad Company. The job of closing out the night
was left to our own DJ Six, who gradually brought
down the pace with a smooth mix of melodic numbers
before finally ending with a couple of jazzy tunes.
Even when the musical arc of drum n bass' past,
present and future completed, the supportive crowd
of drum n bass aficionados never left the dancefloor,
and some were even spotted playing air guitar
along to the music!
Although parties featuring breakbeats are rare
in KL, the latest edition of Loops’ dnb sessions
seems to have brought that draught to an end.
The
good turnout will surely mean that China Max’s
owners will be more willing
to put on dnb parties in the future. In fact,
plans are in the pipeline to turn the Sessions
a monthly or fortnightly event. If anything, the
night proved that independent promoters can hold
smashing parties without heavy
corporate funding or imported superstars. Loops’
efforts in bringing new
music to KL’s club scene and introducing
new talent can only be commended.Boh!
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