The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, September 28, 2000
Misc.
Section B • Page 3
Gatecrasher breaks through at the Granada
By Derek John
writer@kansan.com
Kansas music reviewer
When it was announced that the Gatecrasher Global Sound System would be coming to the Granada Tuesday night and that I would be covering it for the Kansan, this normally sure-footed critic was a bit apprehensive at first. Granted, I'd been becoming better acquainted with electronica music and its many offshoots ever since the Trainspotting soundtrack was released a few years back, but in going to this show, I felt as though I was entering uncharted territory.
I did, however, have the good fortune of being in the company of some close friends who also doubled as experts in the genre of electronica.
Walking along Massachusetts Street Tuesday night, the crisp, cool air of early fall shivered our timbers, and we worried that we might be a bit stiff by the time we hit the Granada dance floor. Our fears were unfounded.
It was evident from the moment we skirted past the subdued Aqua Lounge and headed toward the front stage that we would have no choice but to loosen up, as the music relentlessly called our feet to action. My friends, who were more familiar with the rave culture than myself, gleefully hopped, skipped and jumped into the fray. In my attempt to effect the detached calm of an objective critic on an official assignment, I managed to resist for the moment and took a seat in one of the plush booths that lined the outer rim of the Granada's upper tier.
It was from this vantage point
that I was first able to genuinely appreciate the unique aesthetic that Gatecrasher wanted to achieve.
Taut, purple, wedge-shaped draperies adorned the outer edge of the stage and were graced by luminous projections of the Gatecrasher logo — a medieval-looking lion crest. Two large screens were set up on either side of the disc jockeys and contained a melange of futuristic symbols, cyber graphics and a rapid succession of seemingly random messages such as "Sex," "Plastic," "Moist" and "Deviant" that flashed onto the screen in sync with the beats. The accompanying laserlight show was a mesmerizing part of the Gatecrasher experience that appeared to push the Granada's inhouse equipment to the limit.
Eventually the music stirred my hooligan juices to a boiling point, and I couldn't resist the pulsating bass, slippery cymbals and skittering snare lines that composed the ever-changing beat. In the past, I had found this type of house music to be monotonous at times. But the vibe-sensitive antennae of the DJs, combined with their tacit turntable expertise, complemented the moodiness above the rhythm.
Where before I was simply a fool to ever think that I could dance, by night's end the hypnotic music had turned me into a reputable dancing fool. I had by no means mastered the raver's trademark dance — an excursion into the slippery side of things where liquid movement and mirror image challenge the body's joints and ligaments in a way that hip-hop's popping never could but the inviting music seemed to
give license to just about any dance form.
Because of its continued acclaim, Gatecraser had set out to bring its highly successful club formula to the States. Amazingly, Lawrence was included in a small group of very large cities that were fortunate enough hear Gatecraser and its top-notch DJs. Although according to the Gatecraser Web site and other paraphernalia at the show, the Granada apparently was assumed to be a club in Kansas City. Thankfully, it isn't.
For the Global Sound System's visit to Lawrence, DJ Heaven and Ashley Casselle had made the trip in representing Gatecrasher — a consortium of accomplished club DJs who have made a name for themselves in the popular club scene of London and other European techno music strongholds.
My comrades lamented that there weren't more people there for the DJs to feed off of. I would agree that the crowd was a bit sparse, but those who did turn out were awfully zealous for a school night. Calling the show a beautiful exhibition of progressive jungle-house trance, one friend confirmed that he had witnessed some of the best live electronica of his life. He was only sorry it couldn't have lasted until the wee hours of the morning like standard underground raves.
Sauntering out of the club in time with the house beat but drenched with perspiration, I wasn't sure I could exactly agree with that last point. But if it ever comes to town again, i vowed that I would be at the front of the queue waiting to crash down the gate to get inside the club.
— Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
DJ Heaven spins electronica Tuesday night at the Granada. He is part of the Gatecrasher Global Sound System, a group of DJs from Europe that is traveling through the United States in an effort to promote the London-area techno music scene. Although the Tuesday crowd was somewhat sparse, those who turned out grooved to the electronica beats provided by the DJs. Photo by Thad Allender/KANSAN
Jurassic 5 Quality Control
Throw in four talented rappers, two innovative DJs, a barrage of funky rhythms and you've got one tasty recipe for hip-hop.
Quality, indeed. While rap acts such as DMX and Dr. Dre feature strong lyrics but rely on dark melodies and heats. DJ Nu-Mark
Even though there's six of them, the members of Jurassic 5 know what ingredients it takes to generate some of the freshest hip-hop to emerge from the increasingly watered-down genre. The band's second release, Quality Control, is strong evidence of that.
and Cut Chemist lay down some up b e a t m u s i c. Complement those with the acrobatic vrical abilities of Marc Se7en, Akil, Chali2na and Zakair, and Quality Control becomes a disc that's difficult to put on pause.
There's more than meets the ear, though. The rappers unleash a barrage of intelligent lyrics on songs such as "World of Entertainment (Woe is Me)," "Great Expectations" and the album's title track. It's refreshing, to say the least.
Missing out on Quality Control is a giant mistake. Still not convinced? Check out the band with Dilated Peoples and The World Famous Beat Junkies at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Granada.
Loyal listeners in Emporia miss clear transmission of KANU
Lyrics ●●●●●●
Originality ●●●●●●
Instrumentation ●●●●○)
By Matt Merkel-Hess writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
The mix of news, music and special programs on KANU-FM was music to the ears of Emporia resident Herb Wyrick for years.
He and his wife, Sarah, listened to the public radio station every day in their vehicles and at home.
But on July 27, the Federal
Communications Commission pulled the plug on the Lawrence-based station's 90:5 FM translator in Emporia because of interference with a new station at 90.7. KANU had broadcast in Emporia since 1986.
"We like the news, music and the lack of commercials," he said. "We
Wyrick said before the translator was shut down, he and his wife seldom listened to anything else.
just like the whole shebang."
Janet Campbell, general manager of KANU, said the station applied about
Some days, snatches of the Lawrence station still can be heard at 91.5 FM, but not often enough, leaving Emporians searching for other options on the dial.
"For the people who listened, it's been very negative." Wyrick said. "There's just our local AM station for news and weather."
one and a half years ago for a license to broadcast permanently out of Emporia at 89.7 FM. Another group known as Bible Broadcasting also has an application pending for the same frequency. The FCC has not indicated when it will resolve the issue.
Until then, KANU is broadcasting on cable channel 8 in Emporia under a special arrangement with Emporia State University. Channel 8, which broadcasts a news scroll,
had always used KANU as background music. But after the translator was shut down, KANU'S antenna was moved to the top of Visser Hall on the Emporia State campus, so the station could reach the city in some form. Campbell said.
"It's been very good," Campbell said. "But there are still a lot of frustrated people who can't listen in their car."
Campbell said the new translator that KANU applied for would be a full-power station at 3,000 watts and give the station a 30-mile broadcasting radius from Emporia.
Until then, listeners wait for the FCC to decide who will get the station at 89.7.
"We're glad it's on cable," Wyrick said. "But we want it back, and we need to have a translator." — Edited by Waraisa Chulindra
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The Student Senate Judicial Board guarantees expedient, fair, representative due process rights to the students and student organizations of the University of Kansas, and resolves conflicts between students, student organizations, and Student Senate.
The Judicial Board Selection Committee is looking for the following to be Associate Justices:
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graduate Students
Applications are available in the Student Senate office, 410 Kansas Union, and are due Friday, September 29th. For more information please come by or contact the Student Senate office at 864-3710