Ferias invites Ash Lauryn to the SAT There was a certain self-assuredness emanating from Ash Lauryn as she came to the decks over the dance floor at the SAT on Friday October 3.
She had waited in the wings of an eclectic b2b set by Montrealers Lia Plutonic and DJ silktits, taking stock of the floor like a ruler over her lands. Piano chords brought in a mix of Sophie Loyd’s “Calling Out” to mark the first selection and make a formal decree: tonight is for getting down and feeling good.A drop into four kicks to the bar and the crowd was all in agreement.
Ferias organised this night of revelry, bringing a DJ booth adorned with a forest of gargantuan house plants and incandescent bulbs hanging like mangoes — very much rainforest-in-space. Listeners were evidently here for a weekend party. A few serious dancers demanded space around the outer edges.
Ash held firm attention throughout a set of uplifting mixes. The tones and grooves hugged closely to what listeners have come to admire from the force behind blog and radio show Underground and Black: soulful R&B vocal tracks, chord stabs and fiery instrumentals.
An infectious hook from “Freak Like Me” by Adina Howard embodied the atmosphere. The dance floor packed close. A virtuosic organ solo from “Much More,” (Luis Radio and Fabrizio Monaco), melded into an equally adventurous synth joint that I’ll have to keep an ear out for.
Dance music is best served thick and unrelenting. Next Canadian date @ Standard Time in Toronto October 31st Underground and Black on NTS radio.
