The walls of the 9:30 Club were nearly shaken off their foundation this past Saturday from the ethereal drum and bass of DJ Krush. Krush, who hails from Japan, entertained the extremely diverse crowd in this rare D.C. appearance.
Drum and bass, also known as jungle and commonly abbreviated as D&B, originates from the U.K.'s breakbeat scene. As the name would suggest, D&B's sound is characterized by the deep, heart-regulating bass and the furiously driving synthesized drums. However, its U.S. presence is still relatively underground.
"Drum and bass really isn't a U.S. thing to begin with," one anonymous show-goer offered before the set. "It has a different vibe, and so it attracts people from all walks of life. Those here are part of a unique community, and the show gives us a chance to leave ourselves and connect with one another."
This interpersonal connection was evident as the lights dimmed around midnight. DJ Krush made his way out onto the stage to the enthusiastic cheers of the packed club. Meeting their love with a sly grin, Krush slid a few records out of his sleeve, warmed up the turntables and set the night in motion.
The pace of the music began slow as the speakers projected a sound of one quiet and foreboding Asiatic flute. The hum of the woofers began to intensify and the pace quickly picked up. Show-goers knew what was about to hit them, and Krush did not disappoint. A sleight of his hand set another record spinning and the drum and bass exploded onto the crowd.
From that point, the show was a non-stop race toward an ever-growing climax. Krush proved himself a master of weaving ambient noise to link each of his songs, readying his crowd with his constant driving tempos. Head-bobbing and reserved shuffling quickly evolved into dancing as circles sprouted up throughout the club.
Krush's music features no lyrics and centers around the intricacy of his sampling. Such identifiable music samples ranged from the occasional light saber slash to the distant sound of gunfire between songs. At his turntables, Krush is unarguably a master of his art. It's very apparent he has achieved some sort of musical Zen. However, on the occasions when he chose to break his focus for a few seconds to acknowledge the crowd with a nod and a smile, an uproar ensued.
It was hard to point out which "scene" the show truly identified. White-collar workers stood side by side with ravers, while simultaneously dancing with the hip-hop heads. In all reality, under the flash of the multi-colored lights it didn't seem to matter who anyone was. Transcendence was the prevailing theme of the evening.
Fans came from as far as New York and Philadelphia to see the show. As one attendee said, "Krush is quite worth the drive down here. His tours are sporadic, but they always capture an energy that no record can."
With a show like Saturday's, it's quite easy to see why Krush has garnered a cult following among American D&B enthusiasts. Many at the show cited that he was unique because of his Asian-influenced sound, while others cited his sheer ability to have a good time as a reason for coming out.
As one of the first to pioneer hip-hop in Japan back in the '80s, Krush has since put out eight solo albums and has worked on countless other projects, one being the soundtrack for the movie "Blade." His most recent release, 2004's chart-climber "Jaku," digs into his Japanese roots and features Japanese instruments alongside a jazzier beat.
