The explosion of dubstep in our supremely liveable, yet lovably trashy, city has made a concept like All City Bass a must. “No one could have predicted the massive interest dubstep [has] gained in Melbourne over the past six months,” affirms the perceptive and opportunistic Evans. The term ‘golden era’ gets passed around like a cheap lady of the night, but in 20 years time this period could be seen as just that. Next up on the menu is a double header of doom hitting Brown Alley this Friday, with Mark Instinct and Heist topping the bill. A longtime drum and bass addict, Instinct hails from the new dubstep mecca of Canada. It’s cold, somewhat industrial terrain has lent itself to such ground-shaking excursions as Invader and The Don. Not to mention it’s also the home of those bad ass bass dudes Excision and Downlink. His UK partner-in-crime for All City Bass, Heist has been smuggling in the audio dope for over a decade, constantly working to evolve his career and production palette, from collaborations with the likes of Ian Brown of the Stone Roses to launching his own records labels. If that wasn’t enough, local bass maniacs, including Baron Von Rotton, Dougstep, Kodiak Kid, and Dyzlexic CM will also be bringing the ruckus to the ultra-cool Lonsdale Street spot.
When you’re hitting the adult beverages, which ironically place you in a less than evolved state of mind, some thumping beats might be all that’s needed. Tey and his crew are looking, however, to give punters something beyond the standard dance-til-you-drop night out. “We aim to provide a whole experience, not just a stage with a DJ,” the big dog tells us with sincerity. “Every event we get the best decor crews in to revamp the Brown Alley main room with themes often inspired by the headline act.” We can expect an “intense” visual display with lasers and VJs on the big screens, along with the requisite heavy sub bass running through their peace disturbing PA set-up. Above all else it’s about fostering a community environment for these bass music champions. Tey and co. are looking to build on the foundation they have already set in place, making All City Bass a brand that stands for quality in an increasingly populated scene. “We did have four months of weekly parties. All City Bass already has a strong following. People know that they can go there and feel at home, jamming to the beats they enjoy.” With the proliferation of the beloved sub-genre, Tey sees every crew and event as providing the “scaffolding” for the growing community. “We see All City Bass fitting in as the meeting spot,” he says ambitiously. “If people are coming, making friends, checking out elite acts and loving the night – that’s all we could want. And if people are coming back then we know that we’re on the right track.”
Not resting on his grime-crusted laurels, Tey is looking ahead to the next All City Bass extravaganza, coming at us at the end of the month. It’s set to be another huge night with two rooms, with Evans telling us to expect “chest rattlin’ bass, wicked lyricists and a special decor and visuals setup.” Overseeing, and encouraging, the mayhem will be American made dub monster SPL and British eardrum basher Noah D. Real name Sam Pool, which sounds like the coolest movie detective ever, SPL has been spreading his dubstep-meets-crunk audio destruction to clubs from Kiev to Colorado since the early ’00s. Noah D, meanwhile, has consistently been building his rep since the 90s. He exploded on the scene with the gargantuan banger Seeeriousss, which has made waves around the globe and topped the charts on BBC 1 and Beatport.
While the upcoming events look to up the ante in scope and presentation, along with showcasing more world-travelled veterans and local up and comers, energetic Evans once again asserts that the community atmosphere is first and foremost. “We just want to keep giving our punters the artist they want to see. It’s not so much about the size or venue, more about the vibe of our parties. Epic, quality raves.”
