DJ Z Trip
Factory Theatre
Sydney, AUS
January 28, 2017
Turntablism is an art form.
Period.
An art form that more often than not has been diluted by applying a simple formula and reducing it to the lowest common denominator to make it appealing to the mainstream palate in a day and age where the democratization of technology has lowered the entry tariff
DJ Z Trip is fundamentally different: Strip the preconceptions, arm a man with turntables and vinyl records and focus on the crowd and the system.
Old school.
Add creativity, sprinkle in technical precision, pepper it with sincere passion for what he does and a capability that seems to be hardwired into his DNA when it comes to detecting what makes a song and altering it, amplifying its merits and taking it over the top via prolonging its climax.
DJ Z Trip channels the essence of songs, infuses them with his own arrangements and brushstrokes his mixes by using the originals he chose as his canvas.
No matter if your pedigree is coloured by block parties, old school hip hop or rock, watching DJ Z Trip trawl through his vinyl connection is an infectious endeavour.
It is not hard to tell that he has absorbed every beat of it, learned to love it and with great respect emits it back to an appreciative audience, while riding the wave of the mood in the room.
We are talking limitless explorations: The way that DJ Z Trip imaginatively constructs his transitions, especially in a live environment, has a myriad of shades and deliberate connotations, that should urge one to take a step back, and envision his performance as a rich tapestry based on a history lesson of what has been proven to work in music, and a deconstruction and reassembling of the parts that make it tick, lending it a different and enhanced dimension.
Great technique means nothing if the selection is not on point and it is enhanced further if it is personal. With Z Trip the love is felt in the mix. There is groove. There is rock. There is dance floor. There is hip-hop. He mashes what is often perceived to be diametric opposites to form a fusion that makes you instantly vibe and appreciate the colouration that was given to the originals.
Crowd participation to the extent of heartfelt singalongs? Enter DJ Z Trip. With a profound disregard for what is considered to be restricting in terms of genres, layering becomes the instrument that evokes associations, reconnection and reassessment of what is commonly believed to have been shelved and compartmentalized in the canon of popular music.
Here’s a guy that is fueled by a healthy disregard for barriers, simmering down the essence of a great song, and boiling it up and having it fusion it with the DNA of another, encapsulating the essence of multi-tasking and blending old and new school.
His live sets are both delicate and dedicated, there is technical prowess galore while not neglecting the fun part. It is a delight to watch him in action, as it is an experience similar to watching an actual band and not a DJ merely pushing buttons.
Summa summarum, a rollicking good ole time, man!
Being a DJ can be a conflicting role in that there is a need to entertain and please the crowd in some way to make them pay attention to your music without sacrificing your own tastes and aesthetics.
DJ Z Trip creates his own environment while he is on stage reflective of the diversity and demographics of the audience.
The fact that he nearly sold out the Factory Theatre in Sydney with the city’s biggest annual electronic festival happening simultaneously is testament to his relevance, longevity and standing.
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Photos by KAVV
