John Larner earned his reputation in the 1990s
under the guise of Cyberjive. More than a decade later, the multifaceted house
DJ/producer says he still can’t shake his past.
“Nearly
every show, someone wants to hear tracks from the rave days,” says Larner, who
now sets up shop in Indianapolis.
“Back in the day I played a lot of Chicago
house mixed with some techno and acid. It’s pretty much the same thing now.”
For
that reason, he says, the older cuts fit in just fine. Larner has made an easy
transition in bridging the classic, soul-based vibe of older house tracks with
the chunkier bump of the new-school sound. By fusing elements of jazz and
high-octane base, Larner’s sets set floors off.
“It’s
been a while since I’ve played in Milwaukee—can’t
remember, to be honest,” he says of his upcoming show. “This is the first time
I’ve played Three, so that’s exciting. I’ve always heard good things about the
club, so I’m looking forward to a good night.”
The
gritty charm of Three’s DJ-driven digs will provide a hard backdrop to Larner’s
often gritty sets, which manage to strike a balance between fracture and
fluidity. Some of his production work has echoed what some call the “fidget”
sound—although Larner says the style is running its course.
“The
remix I did for Greenskeepers (Abracadabra) last year had the ‘fidget’ sound
for sure,” he says. “I'd just gotten back from London and was feeling pretty influenced by
what I was hearing over there. But that said, it’s been pretty much run into
the ground. In truth, it makes me think of speed garage.”
John Larner gets So Fresh! at Three
(722 N. Milwaukee St.)
on Friday, June 6. Milwaukee’s
TJK (Dae Recordings) opens the show.
Music 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. No cover charge.
Classic Cut:Chicago drum ’n’ bass icon Phantom 45 is once again touring his
sound across the states. This summer, he has plans to hit Los
Angeles, New Orleans, San Diego and Philly.
First
stop, however: Milwaukee.
“I
keep doing shows because no matter how long I’ve been doing this, I still
enjoying playing,” says Phantom 45, who also heads
the music at Chicago’s
Lava. The club’s weekly DnB party, The Seminar, is celebrating its 10th year,
another homage to the validity of the artist’s sound, craft and style.
Classic
influences of U.K.
producers such as DJ Hype and Andy C. continue to surface in his sets, which
are laced with on-point mixing and scratch tactics.
“I
play a mix of old and new tracks, but lately I’ve been doing all old-school
mixes,” he says. “People seem to enjoy the oldies from the rave days.”
Expect
a mix of top-notch jungle, DnB and breakbeats from one of its original
innovators.
Phantom 45 appears Thursday, June
12, at Three (722 N. Milwaukee St.) for Konkrete Jungle. Opening sets by Kruser, Bishop and Megz. Music
10 p.m. to 2 a.m. No cover charge.
Digging Deeper: Hugely influential in the first
wave of new-school house, JT Donaldson
emerged as part of the original “Texas sound” in 2003. Some five years later,
Donaldson has morphed into a more forward-looking, deep house DJ. While fellow
Texas new-schoolers went elsewhere—Lance De Sardi swam toward electro, Brett
Johnson took on techno and DeMarkus Lewis simply backed away—Donaldson took it
deep. Today, he has emerged as a skilled crossover producer and selector,
effortlessly bridging the worlds of soul and new school.
Friday, June 13, at Red Light (1758
N. Water St.). Milwaukee’s Marcus
Aurelius (Organized Crime) opens the show. Music 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Cover
charge: $5 all night.
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