Digital Mystikz - SMOG Sunday Night Sessions @ Los Globos 07/15 [Concert Review]

Digital Mystikz // Photo: Jason 'Oh Dag Yo' Fenmore

 
DMZ. These three letters should ring a bell for anyone who has been following the dubstep scene for a while.

If you have been, then when you heard SMOG was bringing DMZ to Los Angeles for the very first time, you must have been extremely ecstatic (I know I was!).

Digital Mystikz, aka Mala [Deep Medi Musik, DMZ, UK] and Coki [Tempa, DMZ, UK], took to the decks Sunday for SMOG’s completely sold out Sunday Night Sessions at Los Globos. Kahn [Punch Drunk, UK] and Steady [SMOG] set the mood and warmed up the crowd for some good vibes and deep meditation on bassweight for the rest of the evening.

 For those reading this, Mala and Coki should not need any introduction because you should already know what’s up with the Digital Mystikz.

But (just in case) for those of you who don’t, here’s a quick intro:

• The original DMZ event, founded by Mala, Coki, Loefah and Sgt. Pokes in the UK over six years ago, is well known as being one of the most influential events in the dubstep community. Many of the biggest names in dubstep have played at DMZ: Skream, Benga, Hatcha, N-Type, Truth, Distance and Kode 9, just to name a few.
• DMZ, the record label, is Mala, Coki, and Loefah’s platform for releasing some of the most genre-defining anthems like “Anti-War Dub” and “Spongebob” on 12”. Mala also runs Deep Medi Musik, which releases some of the deepest and darkest bass music out right now.
• Digital Mystikz is Mala and Coki’s moniker when spinning or producing together.

I think almost anyone and everyone who weathered out the long wait in line and made it into the venue would have to agree that this event would go down in SMOG history as being one of the best, if not THE best SMOG event so far.

Steady // Photo: Jason 'Oh Dag Yo' Fenmore

Steady opened up with a “Dubstep Classics” set which he played many mid- to late-2000s bangers and anthems. Some of the tunes I heard during from outside while waiting to get into the venue were Rusko’s “Jahova,” Joker’s “Purple City” and “Tron,” and Benga and Coki’s anthem “Night.”

Kahn // Photo: Jason 'Oh Dag Yo' Fenmore

Up after Steady was Kahn, who played an all vinyl record set. I made it into Los Globos right as he reloaded Loefah’s Deep Medi banger “Disko Rekah” to a screaming crowd. I also heard what might have been a VIP or refix of Kahn’s “Way Mi Defend” that set off the whole crowd into a skanking frenzy. Although there were some technical difficulties – “Too much bass for the plates!” MC Kemst yelled over the mic when the needle was skipping – the rest of Kahn’s set went smoothly and built up properly to Digital Mystikz’s set.

(L-R) Coki & Mala // Photo: Jason 'Oh Dag Yo' Fenmore

Mala and Coki came up to the stage after Kahn’s set and long story short, tore LA a new one for 3 straight hours. They played a combination of vinyl and CDs and essentially did a back-to-back set that kept the crowd skanking, head nodding, and, occasionally, moshing (which some people in the crowd seemed to strongly object, but that's a whole other conversation for another day).

Digital Mystikz // Photo: Jason 'Oh Dag Yo' Fenmore

Mala and Coki played a wide variety of tracks, from opening up with Barrington Levy’s “The Vibes Is Right” to closing out with Goth-Trad’s “Babylon Fall.” Their set started at midnight and went well past 2 a.m., the time that was originally posted for the event to end, given that the bass was turned down a notch. 

Coki // Photo: Jason 'Oh Dag Yo' Fenmore

Even a few days after the event, the Facebook event page was still active with people reminiscing about the good vibes and deep music that came out from that evening – sharing the tracks that were played throughout, discussing the many aspects of the event, and giving love to all the artists and people responsible for making Sunday night possible and successful.

With all that said, on behalf of everyone and Dank Radio, massive thank you to Drew from SMOG for bringing DMZ to Los Angeles and doing your best to make the evening a success! We’ll keep looking forward to and supporting all future SMOG shows!

Meditate on bassweight.

-fabricated

Photos by Oh Dag Yo Photography // Photo album for 07/15

 Video: RDEETEEVEE

(Re)live the meditation: SMOG Sunday - Digital Mystikz / Kahn / Steady (7/15/2012) on YouTube

(massive ups hondurenonegro for recording the set!)