Get ready for New York City’s next huge club night. Webster Hall debuted it’s new Saturday party, Brite Nites, earlier this month, but the doors really burst open upon the arrival of A-Trak, one of the greatest DJs and producers in the world today. Webster Hall was packed literally from wall to wall with dance fans who didn’t care how tightly they’d be packed if it meant getting an inch closer to the turntable wizard, creating one of the craziest nights the club has seen in a while.
At this point, A-Trak needs no introduction but I’ll do it anyway. After winning the DMC World Championships at age 15, making him the youngest DJ to do so, the Canadian born producer has seen his success climb higher and higher, becoming Kanye West’s personal tour DJ, starting the highly successful influential label Fools Gold, and producing a slew both by himself, and as the disco-house duo Duck Sauce with Armin Van Helden. But beyond all that, the man’s bread and butter can truly be seen when he stands behind a set of turntables and works his magic, and that’s exactly what the capacity crowd treated to last night.
While trap music has blown up over the past few months, A-Trak has been fusing hip hop and electronic music for years, and his sets seem no more hip hop inspired than they have been for years. The beauty of A-Trak’s sets is the way he melds all of his different influences and styles together. His latest hit, ‘Tuna Melt’, a collaboration with Tommy Trash, is heavier on the elcctro side, but somehow feels at home in a set that may also feature Juicy J and Young Jeezy. The sound is always changing, almost cyclically – there will be some house music, some hip hop, and then some disco , and then back to house music and so on. In between it all, are the staple hits from A-Trak’s repertoire – his remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s ‘Heads Will Roll’, Duck Sauce’s ‘Barbara Streisand’, etc. – as well as A-Trak’s world class scratching and mixing, putting on brief turntable clinics in between bangers.
A-Trak was joined by Oliver, whom he recent collaborated with on the track ‘Disco Nap’. Next week, Brite Nites will host up and coming duo Myon and Shake 54, so don’t forget to check that one out as well.