Author: Madeline Thomas
British producer Felix Weatherall was not alone on the Barboza stage the night of his Seattle performance. A groovy guitar and a sexy saxophone joined the typical electronic duo, a laptop and mixing board. Always one to incorporate friends into his music, it’s no surprise Weatherall performed with support.
The show was sold-out, meaning the basement was pressed for space, forcing the audience into a sort of huddle around the performers. Outside ticket holders buzzed with excitement; once inside, the room was brimming with anticipation, a continual low murmur of praise for Ross from Friends’ work.
His most recent release, Family Portrait, has enjoyed the same critical reception as earlier projects. Meaning, although Pitchfork won’t budge from a 6.5 rating, fans seem to be enjoying the new sound Weatherall is exploring. This was certainly the case the night of his performance in Seattle. House music is not typically an audience-interactive show, in that fans are usually silent, aside from involuntary grunts, humming, and “mm” sounds meant to communicate appreciation. When Ross from Friends took the stage, we the audience took our chance to verbally appreciate, and seemingly embarrass the artist, who received our warm welcome humbly.
“R.A.T.S.” is one of the standout tracks on Family Portrait, a subtle nod to The Outsiders EP and its digitally-rendered analog effects
The set flowed beautifully. His visuals were not a distraction, but complementary to the sound- a balance I find difficult to achieve with lo-fi house music specifically, as it is a less “in your face” genre as far as electronic music goes- you have to be listening to hear the subtle effects. (Hence the lowercase title and abbreviated “lo”- everything fits the same aesthetic, even the sound.)
Incorporating additional instruments was probably the best choice Weatherall made in his performance—I felt like I was experiencing the songs differently, even experiencing different songs entirely. Sometimes the sax slid into spaces usually silent, or the guitar jumped at the same time as the BPM. The show was part performance, part DJ set, and for this mix I am eternally grateful.
The day of the show, Ross from Friends dropped the link to his remix of Thundercat’s “Friend Zone.” Though we didn’t hear it live that night at Barboza, it’s one of his best remixes yet, so be sure to check it out! You can listen to the song on Soundcloud or Spotify, and follow Ross From Friends on Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter.
MADELINE THOMAS | lo-fi spelled Lo-Fi just isn’t as cool | KXSU Music Reporter