A large portion of the seating had been taken out of Sandwiches when I arrived to catch the second of The Gaslmap Killer's only two New Zealand shows. Clearly they were expecting some big numbers to be packing out the venue. In the meantime, it was Superautomatica who were trying to make up the numbers as their bouncy dubstep melded nicely with downtempo breaks lured people into the evening. Some hip hop breaks had people enticed and heads began to nod, but when the hip hop crunk shifted up a gear and the sampler was put through its paces, people really began to take note. Soon enough the fish started to bite in earnest, perhaps it was Method Man's obscene proclamations of what he would do to the listener's asshole that did it.
The duo consisting of Benny Tones and LRD JXN then unleashed a grand psybient vibe blended nicely with an undertone of original hip hop, before violating the floor with sample heavy breaks that really brought the noise. The pair danced around each other with consummate ease, playing around with their catalogue and sublimely picking up where the other left off. It was down to some grimey dubstep to see in the end of their impressive set, which, when married with Roni Size & Reprazent's signature drum and bass classic Brown Paper Bag had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand.
Their finale couldn't have been a greater introduction to Crushington taking to their set and wowing the crowd. Superautomatica had perfectly set them up, and it was Crushington's turn to knock them down. It is hard to believe it's only been just over a year since their first ever live show, but Wellington's finest bass producers looked like seasoned professionals as they kicked off their night with offbeat pounding dubstep that immediately had the room jumping, bar staff included.
They went on to test the limits of tempo before dropping some face-melting dubstep breaks, and somehow managed to briefly fuse hardcore house with full on 'step madness. The rest of the set went by in a blur of flurry of big sounds, with hardcore beats to rival the likes of Scotch Egg, and massive dub drops that could give Skrillex a run for his money. The speakers threatened to blow under the strain of the bass-heavy grime exploding out from them, all while the duo looked to be laughing manically at times to what they were subjecting the crowd to.
There's nothing quite like that split-second anticipatory moment just before a huge dubstep drop, and Crushington laid out countless of those moments throughout their all-too short set. The crowd couldn't nod their heads any harder lest they break their noses off on their own knees, but the Wellington duo settled for making their ears bleed with delight instead. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves and appreciate the reciprocation from the crowd, and they earned it. Their sound is one that should already have taken lands beyond New Zealand by storm, but given time they'll be recognised as masters of their craft.
The Gaslamp Killer seemed to have his work cut out for him to top Crushington, but from the moment he quietly approved of the bass powerhouse by Wilhelm Screaming his way into the start of his set, he was in the driving seat. Starting off minimalist, GLK dropped some 16-bit beats and mixed it all up with a seemingly endless supply of other styles, even showing off his significant turntablism skills.
Peppered throughout smooth hip hop dub beats, GLK would sprinkle some Beatles Happiness Is A Warm Gun with soulful Dr Dre and throw in a dash of Wocka Flocka's Hard In Da Paint for good measure. Like a kind of Weird Al Yankovic of grimestep, GLK looked to be having more fun than anyone as he went from mashing up a golden oldie with some dirty hip hop dubstep and back again.
To say GLK's set was eclectic would be like saying people went along to Sandwiches to hear traditional Romani music. But of course, at one point it very much sounded like that's exactly what GLK had dropped amidst the hip hop dubstep and fresh LA beats. It was difficult to tear yourself away from the dancefloor, but even if you did, you'd be met with the bar staff dancing on the bar. Not a soul in the joint was standing still come the end of the set, confirming it had been a good idea to clear out nearly all of the seating. Showing big love for New Zealand ("when the shit hits the fan in America you better believe I'm on the first flight to Aotearoa"), and providing the crowd with a perfect blend of old classics and new sounds, Gaslamp Killer confirmed his place as one of the most original and diverse DJs on the circuit today.
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