Shlump knows how to thump. By way of scintillating dub and wicked wub coded in otherworldly frequencies, his beats transport the willing through musical galaxies of tuneful construction. As a matter of fact, that’s how he greeted his audience preparing for liftoff at Bass Station on April 13th as part of his ‘Zero Gravity’ tour. Like a seasoned pilot ready to engage an auditory light speed trip, he warmly inquired of the crowd, “Who’s ready to go to outer space?” Turns out, nearly all in attendance found favor in Shlump charting an intergalactic route filled with skillful track selections and hyper driven riffs. Full speed ahead, brother. We in attendance trust your course and direction, good sir. Let me tell you, Shlump ain’t no chump, his proficient moves inspire impressive grooves, and he came with support.
The venue of choice for tonight’s showcase? The Lakehurst Event Center in Waukegan, IL. Last time I found myself in this location was December 2023 for two days of Lunar Tide. Three chambers of sound hosted three different stages and production teams, each offering unique selections of music and styles. The coziest room from Lunar Tide was dubbed Bass Station and sported a Funktion-One sound system. Tonight, this Bass Station event is utilizing a PK sound system. Wonderful. Lunar Tide was a fantastic time, so I’m happy to be returned for tonight’s occasion.
I arrived to the venue around 1015pm, entering through the side entrance. Doors opened at 8pm, so there’s already a healthy crowd in attendance. The vibrant and scintillating sounds of Scarlet Widow greet my ears and draw me in. Do you know what the spider symbolizes? Creativity, interconnectedness, resilience, and profound spiritual energy, to name a few. If music is kind of like a web, consider me ensnared in the insightful sound this young lady is putting down. I’ve only recently discovered her talents, literally less than two months ago at a DirtySnatcha headlined event held at Los Globos venue on February 23. That felt kind of like a riddim centric event, which it seems like the kids do be doing these days.
Thankfully, Scarlet Widow has a range and versatility beyond a single genre. Fabulous Fabiola. Tonight, I’m delighted she’s mixing fresh ingredients of dubstep and hip-hop pleasing to my palate. Kind of like a sous’ chef, although I imagine her slugging songs like shells into a sonic shotgun for seasoning close quarters encounters. Tonight qualifies, in a room this size. It’s intimate, to say the least.
As well, I love an artist that fashions a look uniquely their own. It’s an element of exposition that aids their standing out. Scarlet Widow’s hair is a fiery red coloration complimenting her attire of black boots, fishnets, and v-neck tank top, consistent with what I witnessed from her last performance. Afterwards, she dons a red jacket. Killer. However, in contrast to the black widow spider which has a reputation for fatality, females often cannibalizing males after mating (an evolutionary adaptation), Scarlet Widow is polite to be sure. I can attest, we spoke briefly, and she’s an absolute delight. If she’s going to cause damage, it will be through her musical selections, massacring and slaying with beats heavy, hard, and brutal. Otherwise, she demonstrates confidence in her blends of various songs and styles.
Next up, a fella calling himself Schwook’d. What does it mean? Bring it in, team. Let me break this brand-new moniker down for y’ all. It’s like combining two semi-imaginary words together to describe a state of mind and experience. I say semi-imaginary, because both were coined from science fiction franchises, are used regularly throughout pop culture, but neither recognized by Merriam-Webster, America’s most trusted dictionary, as real, verified words.
Consider from the Rick and Morty universe, schwifty. “Let’s get schwifty, yeah.” Schwifty is a term reflective of debauchery, inebriation, and hard partying. Yee, buddy, sounds like fun! Wook is a term of legend that became popular in the 1980s during the height of the Grateful Dead era to compare festival hippies to the wookie character, Chewbacca, from the Star Wars franchise. By current standards, a wook is a friendly and outgoing modern day hippy who enjoys festivals, jam bands, and EDM. As well, they often partake in schwifty activities. Some say wook’s don’t have much by way of means, but I consider them to be a largely frugal subculture of humanoids. Thus, our equation reads something like this. Schwifty + Wook = Schwook’d. That’s math, bitch. What does this unique talent sound like? Electronic, DnB, distortion, dubstep, and even some glitch. Here’s his full set from the night so you can listen for yourself.
Next up, Jon1st hailing from Leicester, United Kingdom. This set was a rare gem. During changeover, I noticed technicians hooking up a piece of equipment I don’t often see, a freaking turntable, bruv! Bro, man, dude, fella is about to scratch an itch of mine that has been left unattended dating back at least several years. His technique was an impressive spectacle to behold. Honestly, I felt lucky to be in the audience. Hilariously, every time Jon1st warped sounds, a big fella called out with ecstasy from the back of the room, absolutely feeling it. Count me impressed. Mixing and sequencing tracks is one thing, but scratching and turn tabling is a different skill altogether. A scratcher’s ears are tuned to different vibrations, almost like they register frequencies undetectable to a normal listener’s ears. It was something else, and by the end, I was wondering how he became Jon1st. Battle royale? Free-for-all? Lineage? Prestige? Perhaps one day, I will discover the origins of his name, and when I do, I will share my findings with you.
The final change-over of the night took place at 1am, with Shlump ascending the stage shortly thereafter. This is what we all assembled for, alien bass music, and we’re friggin’ ready to go, bud! C’mon, Mike, fire it up! Shlump obliged, politely, and thus we started soaring through a personally curated catalog of OG tracks, remixes, and throwbacks compiled in one-of-a-kind Shlump fashion. Nice. ‘Alien Bass’, ‘Zero Gravity’, ‘Pub Grub (VIP)’, and ‘R.A.V.E’ (Rave) were just a few of the fire selections we enjoyed as part of his set. Plus, a dope remix of Marcy Playground’s, ‘Sex and Candy’. That track takes me waaaayyyy back, man. Shlump pretty much played until they turned the lights on, and then, like the energizer bunny, he kept going. The venue noticed, and quickly re-dimmed the setting, letting Shlump continue shlamping right up until 210 in the am.
Shlump is always a pleasure to witness, and I’ve been doing as such regularly since 2018. His sounds represent not only himself, but reflects the Wakaan family and record label. A bunch of cool cats over there, so Shlump fits right in. A wonderful human being, he doesn’t draw drama, and establishes a friendly environment for all to be part of. Such was the case this night at Bass Station in Waukegan, IL. One can always count on Shlump to showcase the elite performer he is. I look forward to the next time I bear witness to his exploration of sonic worlds, and I hope you’ll join me.
Be well, be successful. Bear Swiftly.
–Electro Scribe–
