How the wrong night, became so right.
Approaching Cielo on Friday Night I was more excited than ever. After Electric Zoo Dance festival I had been anticipating Ben Watt’s return to New York and I believed tonight was the night. Speaking to a group of dance enthusiasts, I asked in anticipation, ‘Do you know when Ben Watt is on?’ One fiercely loyal techno fan, bulked and replied ‘Ben Watt isn’t tonight(!) its Chris Liebing man, Watt is on next week.’ Oh right I replied as I sheepishly went back to the bar to prepare myself for some serious techno.
Stepping into the booth, Liebing soon began driving beats hard and fast into the intimate venue. The crowd was hooked to every drop and faces of disbelief were aplenty – their high expectations seemed to be blown away by every new sample. This could be attributed to his unique approach to the DJ hardware/software setup. He manipulates the samples and the multiple layers in each track in real-time, enhancing his ability to interact with the crowd and tailor his material to the audience. I can testify that the Chris Liebing experience is seriously engrossing. He proficiently reads the audience, delivering exactly what you wanted but never expected.
One track that stuck out for me was his Confronted remix. Liebing’s pr team even tweeted about it. In fact, Confronted by Pan Pot receives regular play by the Chris Liebing’s label CLR. You can catch it on CLR’s Podcast numbers 24, 28 and 30, although you won’t find Liebing’s version from Cielo there. Perhaps listen out for it in his Homespun Session on Time Out, posted in anticipation of his New York performance.
Back to the night itself. Not only is his set supported by his great technical ability, but his burning passion for what he does shines through. He jumps, grins, dances and frantically moves between the tools in front of him. And when I was warned to leave him space in the booth, I made sure I did not get in the way of the techno magician who has done so much for the genre’s popularity. Like my attitude towards Trance before discovering Tiesto, I had dismissed Techno from having a space on my MP3 player. However, after experiencing Liebing’s expert craftsmanship at Cielo and the accomplished production of Speedy J at Electric Zoo (the two DJ’s are often found spinning together), I am making my way over to Beatport.
Check out Liebing’s myspace for his tour dates and if you have never considered techno like me, I suggest you use Chris Liebing and his label CLR as a starting point. Oh and make sure you get your ticket for Ben Watt NEXT week….
Cielo,18 Little West 12th Street, New York City www.cieloclub.com
