2019 – shows of the year
Tama Sumo at Mr. Sunday
I went to this show based on the strength of Tama Sumo’s delight of an RA Set from a few years ago … and was rewarded with a slow-burn colossus of a show of deep tunes, great house, and ecstatic dancefloor moments.
Kampire at FOMO
The Nyege Nyege magician played just about perfect at Elsewhere, going from 80 BPM to 190 in joyous, sass-heavy fashion.
Riobamba at Melting Point
Melting Point continues to prove that the kids are alright. Their one-year was H E A V Y, loud, vital – and had Riobamba’s rocketfuel post-Latin-dance-music masterpiece.
Zhorma @ Noite PuXXXa
An excellent night at MusicBox in Lisbon, won at a canter by Zhorma’s tropicalia —> kuduro/batida set.
Lauri Soini & Eliott Litrowski at Jolene
Went to Copenhagen and loved it, not least for the low-key wonderment at Jolene. Disco, italo, techno, “prog”, heartfelt go-go dancers, and yet more ecstatic dancefloor moments.
Honorable mentions to Total Freedom at Melting Point at Elsewhere, including the jellyfish and normcore costumes; to Timmy Regisford’s 1990s throwback and massive fader blasts at Nowadays; Jana Rush and her videogame footwork in a tiny pub in Bristol; and Awesome Tapes from Africa at Elsewhere.