Preview
GAVIN FROOME
Sunday, November 21
Night Gallery
Despite their reliance on vinyl, DJs aren’t averse to technology. Renowned house-spinner Gavin Froome is no exception and, with the help of some digital assistance, he will be playing in consort with Jon Delerious for a special "live" edition of Sunday Sessions.
Froome’s latest live incarnation has him doling out streams of 4/4 beats using his computer. In what is a more refined approach to the traditional "live" set, Froome’s latest adjustment is to program and manipulate tracks live on his PC, thereby replacing the typical drum machine with an almost infinite number of samples and loops.
"Technology now allows for this," he says. "It’s an abundant resource that’s just beginning to be dabbled in. I’m now able to record my sets, take the best parts, play them out again and add on to those. The process has become so involved, but technology has streamlined this process."
Innovation is certainly nothing new to Froome, who has long globe-trotted from gig to gig with a live element in tow. His latest approach only furthers his range of possibility.
"Basically the advantage is that I’m not limited by a crate of records, where I have a particular limited amount of creative capability based on a finite amount of records," he says. "Instead, every gig offers an opportunity for something brand-new. I can react to the audience and change as the night develops. That’s something that really excites me as a producer and as a DJ. The creative potential is limitless."
While many in the dance-music world are taking time to reconfigure their sound in the studio, Froome’s excitement lies in the fact that he can innovate on two fronts, both in the studio and live. The merging of the two worlds is a natural progression, especially as the technology to make the music becomes more readily available.
Potentially the most revolutionary concept behind Froome’s movement is the breakdown in the interface between the producer and DJ. Live production, such as Froome is doing, ultimately creates the opportunity for a more real-time experience. No longer constrained by the mechanics of production and replication, the opportunity to create on the fly has Froome understandably excited about the coming years.
"Really what it allows for is the reinvention of an interactive experience," he says. "Crowds are going to really detect a difference in the experience… because each event will be different than the other."
Technological innovation on the distribution front has also got Froome piqued. His latest album, Underground Heroes, has recently been released on the iTunes website, which sparks more delight from Froome about the potential available to emerging artists.
"It’s great to have my music so available – the amount of exposure at hand," he says. "You’re not exclusively reliant upon the old network of distribution and retail to get the songs out. The consumer has a world of choice at their fingertips and for me as an artist, that’s really what it’s all about, the ability of getting the music into the hands of those who want it."
Make it a double dose of beats
The same week that Gavin Froome is joining Jon Delerious for a live Sunday Sessions event, T-Bone Stadius will join Delerious and Geoff Pye for his debut at Arena on Friday, November 19. Known for constantly blowing the doors off his resident night at Fabric nightclub in the U.K., T-Bone’s name has become synonymous with quality tech house. He’s also earned considerable acclaim for his deeper, bass-busting wizardry. Revered overseas for his amazing ability to turn late-night frowns upside down, he’s become one of Canada’s foremost DJs. Two renowned house DJs in one week: can you stand it?
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