Red Bull Studio Alive- Part 3

Red Bull Studio Alive: Part 3

27 Oct 2010

Sunday’s weather was a polar opposite to Saturday’s with miserable rain crowds and icy winds threatening the finals day’s festivities. In a way this, however, might have contributed to the last day of jump-up revelry on the Studio Live Stage. Aside from the great acts, it was testament to the power of the Peanut; the tent providing perfect cover for the weather as the Sunday acts concluded an incredible weekend.

There was no doubt that Sunday’s crowd was tender from two days of Daisies dementia, so the Studio Live Stage smoothed into the late morning with the funk, soul, blues and beats of Honey B, the Queen of SA’s much loved left-of-centre music label, African Dope. Aside from her usual foray into lazy-boy rare-groove, on-stage cameos from Bakaman and MC Flo added a presence and energy to her set that allowed the dancefloor to begin its transformation from dazed and confused to foot-tapping, head-nodding eager faces.

This transformation was completed by the rich dub expertise of 7ft. Soundsystem who this time last year had merely begun to spread their roots-rock into the soil of South African music, and who have now been germinated, planted and lighten up for those who truly appreciate solid digital riddims, which as it turns out is a lot of people do. They were accompanied by the lyrical belle, Lithal Li's silky voice and Cape Town man around town and emcee, Levi.

If 7ft. sparked the match and begun the blaze, it was Funafuji who effortlessly fanned the flames to get the dancefloor rocking proper. Over the past couple of years she has grown from being a champion of the dubstep sound, way before it was the latest genre name to drop, to become not only one of the best local dubstep DJs but also an increasingly discerning ambassador for the sound, ever hunting for the latest progressive tracks and releases. Her set reflected this desire with deep, skipping, garage influenced tech-step that one could not help but sway to. By only midday she had some 500 people ignoring the rain and cold, beaming in appreciation of another day of fun to be had.

Next up Richard the Third wasted no time in taking the baton and slamming out some filthy, gnarly bass music, a perfect crowd-pleaser for a Sunday festival dancefloor: Not overly hype, but bashing enough to keep people partying. Toward the end of his set he somewhat awkwardly interjected the step and bass with 2010’s Township Funk equivalent, the instantly catchy Boomslang by LV featuring Okmalumkat, London kwaito-tech at its best.

The day was ended off with Cape Town’s ever-loved disciple and master of the drum and bass, Hyphen. Keeping with the dubstep energized crowd, he pushed the side-swaying rhythms even deeper than the preceeding DJ’s playing with the new South African house inspired UK bass sounds and his signature future-vision drum n bass. The crowd was kept on their feet until he dropped the very last beat of the entire festival.

Funk-soul master Nastie Ed and tech-beat stalwart Spekta were meant to follow Hyphen but by that stage of the afternoon the growing thunder-storm was too much of a threat to the large tent which had to be striked early. Big ups to the two for being gentleman about it, it really would have been amazing to see the festival closed by such distinguished artists.

From start to finish there was never a second of doubt that the Red Bull Studio Live Stage was going to be a resounding success and in many ways the highlight of this year’s Rocking the Daisies. Artists representing all spheres of South African electronica were up on stage to represent and everyone brought their A-Game. There are only two questions to ponder post Rocking: Firstly, how will the Red Bull Studio top, or at least equal the thrill and amazement of the Studio Live Stage at next year’s festivals? Secondly, if the electronic and dance music stage can be so impressive, can it be expanded to accommodate full bands?

REDBULL

Red Bull Studio Cape Town

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