On the night of November 15th, I was in no mood to dance. I had just waited in line in the cold for 30 minutes even though I had a ticket. A couple of drunken bros had bumped into me and spilled drink on me. And I had a big essay I had to work on in the morning. I imagine I felt like an old grumpy man would feel if he ever found himself at a nightclub. But as Chaz Bundick silently came on stage and took over for the opening DJ, none of that seemed to matter. As the funk-infused house beats of Les Sins begin to blast through the club, resistance to dance was futile.
The unique beats off of Michael were extra infectious in the club. My feet moved. I wanted them to stop. I didn’t want to dance. But despite the fact that I probably looked like a flailing penguin, I moved. And once I got over the initial shock of my dancing fever, I was struck by how well Les Sins newest project fit the atmosphere. Lights flashed, girls with hula-hoops danced on a raised platform and bros hit on girls in the corners of the club. It was an environment I would normally find cheesy and unappealing. But sound tracked with Les Sins beats; it took on a new light. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the album from the comfort of my own room, but the moving bodies, the flashing lights and the booming speakers all complimented his music so well.
I had heard complaints of Bundicks mixing capabilities before the set on the lovely Internet, but if there were mistakes or errors, I didn’t notice. I was too engrossed in the music. It was hard to catch when one track began and the other ended, the album was quite fluid and I think it was a testament to how well Les Sins was able to capture a coherent mood and tone through out Michael and consequently the set. Of course there were some obvious set standouts, such as the fan favorite “Why” and some song he played with Nicki Minaj in it. I think it might have been a Danny Glover remix but I very well might be wrong. Regardless, the set moved smoothly and I was entranced throughout.
All this reads to play Chaz Bundick and his moniker Les Sins off as some sort of club stud. That’s not what I am trying to do. He came on wearing flimsy headphones fit for a Walkman. The little that he said throughout the set was very much the same as what you would hear at a Toro y Moi concert. But that was really my favorite part of the night. I came as an outsider to the club scene, just as Chaz seemed to be. I watched him deliver a set that seemingly pleased Toro y Moi fans, Les Sins fans, and partiers who just wanted something they could dance to. The Les Sins project is cool, because Chaz is able to make club ready house beats, with his own personal flair. And his set at Q reflected that. He was able to make a whole club happy, with his own personal flair.
Geran Landen/ A Penguin In The Club/ KXSU Music Director