Westfest 2007 - Day 5 early morning

Let's see, where was I, oh right. Jogging into the Westfest complex with all my belongings on my back....

The first thing I noticed were the carnival rides, then the carnival food booths. Ahead of me I could hear fast thumping beats... about 175 bpm, but I couldn't yet determine their source. Around me were portlets, warehouses, and old airplane hangars. I walked forward, taking in the scene of all the people, guys in athletic gear, girls in all kinds of outfits, mostly... well, short skirt or bikini bottoms, bikini top, fuzzy leggings, and forearm coverings, all lined with flourescent tape to glow under the blacklight... you'll know what I mean when the pictures come... it's hot for sure.

The first room I entered was the drum and bass room. This room alone was the size of the main room in the D.C. Armory, the site of the previously largest rave I'd ever been to. In Portland, the only thing that compares is the Rose Garden I suppose, a warehouse the size of the floor of the garden with walls going up at the edge, but a bit longer.

I figured this must be one of the larger areas, since it's a popular music style out here, but the Hardcore Heaven (Happy Hardcore) and Bionic (Hardstyle) rooms were just as large. The main room was more similar in size and shape to the Rose Garden, but without the seats, and with a long upstairs area from which you could look down (from where I shot video I'll post later). After this, I moved on to the Old Skool room, the style of music that got me into techno and one of the two main reasons for my pilgrimage.

To explain the excitement I felt and the main reasons for going to this party to someone who hasn't heard old skool or hardcore techno is difficult. Most people associate the entire scene with drug addled youth, grinding their teeth on pacifiers as the bounce around to beats too fast for a sober person to handle. Strangely enough, this is a perfect description of most of the attendees... although they claim, like me, to be in it for the love of the music. I'll reserve passing judgment.

To explain the excitement I felt, here I present a history of techno in one paragraph: There was an extensive prehistory, but for the purposes of today's "rave music" this is irrelevant. For more on that, reference Kraftwek, Giorgio Moroder, and Acid House. In the beginning (1992) there was old skool (just called techno then). Kids in their UK bedrooms sampled hip hop in Roland keyboards with sequencers, accelerated the beats to around 150-160 bpm (hip hop runs around 80-110), added synthesized stabs and basslines, pianos, and added vocal samples from all over. Just like punk reduced rock to its core and sped it up, techno did the same to hip hop. In 1993, this continued with more complexity, and in 1994 techno split into two genres: jungle (drum and bass, breakbeats around 170 bpm) and trance (4/4 kick drum around 130-140 bpm). These styles evolved and became popular outside the UK, but some purists kept these elements together and called it "hardcore techno". This third lineage produced some of the most "musical" techno (as opposed to minimalist noise), and it is this lineage which I have followed since the early nineties.

This is not easy. This style of music is a subgenre within a subgenre. An underrepresented style of an underrepresented style, and it only gets love in the UK, where it originated. Listening to this music has always given me the most uplifting, energetic feeling, one which compares to the first kiss after a great date, a feeling which I'm sure is enhanced by the ecstasy that the people around me were taking in great quanity, but a feeling which I don't need drugs to enjoy. I have never and will never consume synthetic illegal substances. I hope there is no confusion about this, as it is a large part of this scene and I hope to provide an honest account of what I have and continue to witness.

Where was I? Right, walking into the Old Skool room. Instantly, I knew I was in the right place. It was before 10 pm and the room was smaller than the others and empty, but I knew I was in for a great night when I began hearing anthems from my youth that I had never heard played live, ever. I left the room to continue exploring, as I knew the other rooms would fill up and it would be difficult to leave a backpack anywhere after a few hours.

Sure enough, the Hardcore Heaven room was huge and filling up. I walked to the front left side, found a place for my backpack, placed it close to the wall and took it all in (video pending). I stayed for the last song of DJ Brisk (audio pending), the entire next set of DJ Recon, and left when Marc Smith came on and dropped a more noisy first track. By the time I left, the room was getting very crowded and difficult to leave or enter.

The Old Skool room was heating up. This room was perfect for me, with plenty of space to one side of the stage, and friendly faces, many of whom were representing the early days of rave, when the scene was all about uplifting music and a lack of prejudice... similar to early hippie culture where it seemed that music, drugs, and attitude would change the world. I stayed here for three hours, and I knew every track. I saw three DJs that I had only known from CD liner notes in the early nineties, never even seen pictures of. These men were truly legends in their scene, they started it all and have made very little money from it.

The only reason I left was to check on the main room, which would be featuring UK Hardcore (modern Happy Hardcore) for it's final three hours. Another stroke of luck: the main room's upper deck was connected to the Old Skool room. I trotted over in a less than a minute, but it wasn't the right style yet, still drum and bass noise.

I went outside to get some air and carny food, and noticed a sign for the "Frantic Stage". Had I missed one? I followed the sign around to the farthest area, and sure enough there was another warehouse pumping Hard House (another style not represented in the US)! This stage had a great sound and lighting system, and plenty of room. Also, the best backpack concealing feature yet: a black cloth draped around the side of the whole space. I hid my backpack under it, went a few dozen feet from it, and jammed out at 150 bpm. There was a sexy lady DJ spinning, and she sung along to all the vocals she played. I watched her til her set ended (30 minutes later) and was hard pressed to leave when the next DJ came on and layed down (and scratched over) two awesome tracks.

But I had to check the main room again, and I'm glad I did. It was now time for HARDCORE, and I was about two witness two hours featuring four legends of the modern and old skool scene, spinning most energetic, uplifting, and accessible music I know. I jammed out in the upper deck for the duration (at 170 bpm) and shot so much video that I had to delete many videos from earlier that night. My time is running out on the 'Net, so I'll have to save the return trip debacle for later, but here's the lineup I saw for those who care:

Arrival - 10 pm: Exploration and Hardcore room for DJ Brisk's last track ("You're Shining")
10 - 11 pm: Hardcore room for DJ Recon
11 pm - 12 am: Hopping between Old Skool room (DJ Wink), outside, and others
12 - 1:30 am: Old Skool room for DJ Supreme
1:30 - 3 am: Old Skool room for DJs Druid & Sharkey
3 - 4 am: Frantic stage for Kym Ayres
4 - 5 am: Frantic stage for Kevin Energy's first two tracks, Main Stage for last track of Darren Styles, then Dougal and Gammer featuring Jenna
5 - 6 am: DJs Sy and Hixxy!

I'm in Bath now, arrived yesterday, will be here through tomorrow. I'll check in soon, thanks for reading, cheers, bye!