Day Seven: 2006-03-04 The Rhythm Factory, London UK

Download 2006-03-04 OCD @ The Rhythm Factory, London UK

Well after a busy weekend and then dealing with connection issues all of yesterday that prevented me from uploading those sets, I think we can finally get this back on track. Whatever was messing up my uploads seems to have cleared up on it’s own accord so hopefully it will stay that way.

In the last update I included a Jimpster and Palmskin set from an OCD event held at the Rhythm Factory in London. Today I am posting The Bays set from that same event. Like the DJ set yesterday this one focuses on the minimal techno/house style. Andy’s drumming on this one is particularly on point, very subtle and extremely precise. One of the techniques he uses involves an e-drum trigger placed above another snare or e-drum pad, so that he play on both the down and upbeat. It really is amazing to watch.

Andy isn’t the only one at the top of his game for this set, the whole hour and a half is some of the tightest music I have heard from these guys. Nearly every theme and transition is nailed, and most of the time it is hard to believe this is even a band, much less a band that is making all this stuff up off the cuff. The selection of effects and tones from the keys are top notch, and the bass work fits perfectly into the minimal structure laid down by Andy. This is definitely a set you will be able to appreciate for a long time.

The Bays Homepage
The Bays Myspace
Camp Bisco
The Disco Biscuits
Disco Biscuits Recordings

Day Six: 2001-06-09 Drum Rhythm, Amsterdam NL

Download 2001-06-09 Drum Rhythm, Amsterdam NL
Download 2006-03-04 Jimpster/Plamskin @ OCD

Yea I know, I’ve missed a couple of days here. Real Life™ has caught up to me something fierce. To make up for it I am also going to include a bonus DJ set from Jamie & Simon, who spin/produce under the names Jimpster & Palmskin respectively. Jamie runs the preeminent house label Freerange Records, purveyor of some of the finest house music in the UK. This is another set for all of you minimal tech house junkies out there.

For the Bays set we bring you one of their breakout performances from way back in the Summer of 2001. Recorded at Amsterdam’s renowned Drum Rhythm festival, this set is a serious departure from what we have heard from this band so far. In fact, if it weren’t for the MC calling for a round of applause for THE BAYS!!! at the beginning of the set you might have a hard time believing it is even the same band. This set is a trip in to the land of downtempo, dub and ragga sure to mellow out your day.

The set is sprinkled with more tasteful appearances from the previously mentioned MC, with the band sampling the vocals live and playing it back all chopped up. And of course no Bays set would be complete without a solid finish, and this set is no different. The last five minutes depart heavily from the style of the rest of the set, coming back to dance party house beats the guys are best known for.

The Bays Homepage
The Bays Myspace
Camp Bisco
The Disco Biscuits
Disco Biscuits Recordings

Day Five: 2005-01-08 Jazz Cafe, London UK

Download 2005-01-08 Jazz Cafe, London UK

This one is for all you minimal/tech/house fans. This particular genre has been getting tons of hype these days with acts such as Booka Shade, Gui Borrato and Steve Bug making waves production wise. This set is dominated by this style, and of course the Bays do it all live and off the cuff. Some of the themes in here could easily be developed into major club hits.

At the beginning of 2005 the Bays were residents at this famous London club. They performed several shows all of which are highly regraded among fans. This one was posted to the website a while back, but no longer seems to be available. It is also one of the longer Bays sets available, running a full hour and forty minutes. This allows for much more development of themes making for a very dynamic set. This one is not too be missed.

The Bays Homepage
The Bays Myspace
Camp Bisco
The Disco Biscuits
Disco Biscuits Recordings

Day Four: 2002-08-23 Hotaka Festival, Japan

Download 2002-08-23 Hotaka Festival, Japan

So far we’ve heard two radio shows and one club set. I thought now would be a good time to take things outdoors. While this will be the first time The Bays play a festival in the states, they are no strangers to the festival environment. They hit the festival circuit in Europe pretty hard each year, with sets at the Big Chill, Glastonbury, Pukkelpop and more earning them high praise.

This set brings us to the mountains of the Gunma region in Japan for the Hotaka Music Festival. Like last years Camp Bisco, this festival was hosted by a ski resort in the end of August. Right from the start of the set it is apparent that we are in for something a bit different. This is one of the more experimental Bays sets out there, a lot of this material defies classification.

It also features one of my favorite finishes, which starts out with a captivating guitar riff. This one riff leads into one of the more unique climaxes I have heard. It is high energy, but very focused with each member tightly tuned on the others.

The Bays Homepage
The Bays Myspace
Camp Bisco
The Disco Biscuits
Disco Biscuits Recordings

Day Three: 2002-10-17 Paradiso, Amsterdam NL

Download 2002-10-17 Paradiso, Amsterdam NL

Over the past few days we’ve heard two sets that are what many would call ‘dance party’ caliber, dominated by hard hitting beats and an up-tempo pace. They are the perfect thing to throw on after a night out when nobody quite wants to stop dancing yet.

Todays set takes us into the deeper and more soulful side of The Bays. One of the best things about this band is that every show is unique, and each measure a snapshot of the moment it was performed. Each show is highly affected by context; things like location, venue, time and most importantly the crowd. As such it is fitting that this set from the Paradisio in Amsterdam feels just right for a lazy, hazy afternoon.

Don’t get the wrong idea though, it may be a relaxed set but there is still plenty to absorb here. The slower tempo allows the band to develop a rich soundscape of textures that you can actually see in your minds eye. As the set progresses it’s easy to wander among the sounds, focusing on one particular theme as it develops and slowly twists into something new altogether.

And these guys never forget the importance of a strong finish. Despite the more laid back nature of this set there is still a very clear build of energy throughout. Once again Andy launches the rest of the guys into a hard drum & bass jam, and even this retains the soul developed in the rest of the set.

The Bays Homepage
The Bays Myspace
Camp Bisco
The Disco Biscuits
Disco Biscuits Recordings

Images from thebays.com

Day Two: 2005-05-05 One Music Session, London UK

2005-05-05 One Music Session, London UK

Day two brings yet another Radio show, this one recorded for Rob Da Bank’s show on Radio 1. I mentioned yesterday that The Bays are well known for extended moody intros, and picked this set to showcase one of those. Lasting about 5 minutes, it sets a mid-tempo pace early on, accented with elegant electronic washes. The jam picks up the pace a little bit towards the end, before fading out to start the meat of the set.

A couple of squelching techy noises start to fill the space where the intro jam left off, and a dark brooding bassline sets the tone for the next passage. Before long we are treated to a beautiful female melody, which counteracts the constantly shifting electronic pads with a distinctly human element. It almost sounds like they had a guest sit in for this, the vocals sound too varied and natural to be cut up samples.

Things get pretty loose for a bit, eventually leading into a heavily modified vocal sample repeating “The Bays” over and over. The guys quickly tighten up again as Chris Taylor brings in yet another smooth bassline and the others form up on his lead. This particular segment features many many layers of textures, there is something new to listen to each play through.

At this point we are about half way through the set, and things really start to heat up. Expect more well placed vocal melodies from the same voice earlier in the set, as well as some really solid House grooves. The whole thing wraps up with another Bays staple, the Drum & Bass “encore” to rinse the floor with anybody still left standing. Pay close attention to the drums, Andy is a master of this type of playing. Not only does he have the technical skill to pull it off, he also has the restraint to do it tastefully.

The Bays Homepage
The Bays Myspace
Camp Bisco
The Disco Biscuits
Disco Biscuits Recordings

Day One: 2002-10-30 Boat Club, Nottingham UK

Welcome to the first in a series of 30 articles intended to build hype for The Bays first USA appearance at Camp Bisco in August. If you are not familiar with The Bays, they are a four piece band based out of the UK. The Bays have a mantra that says “The Performance is the Product,” and as such they will not try to sell you anything other than a ticket to the show. The lineup is Andy Gangadeen on drums, Chris Taylor on bass, Simon Richmond on keys/synths and Jamie Odell on samplers, pads and effects.

While The Bays do not write any music or release records, there is a wealth of material available if you are willing to do some digging. I’ve spent a long time tracking down as much material as possible, and now it’s time to put it to good use.

2002-10-30 Boat Club, Nottingham UK

Originally recorded for John Peel’s seminal radio show, this set is a great showcase of the dynamic range The Bays are capable of. I wanted to start this series off with a banger, and this set certainly fits the bill. While the Bays are well known for their drawn out ambient/downtempo intros that slowly build energy, this set skips all that and jumps right into a quick drum & bass groove. After about twenty minutes of chopped up drum & bass madness Andy drops into a downtempo beat to set up a smooth interlude into the next dance party segment.

As the beat changes again, we hear the beginning of an ominous synth line that will take us into some the darker material The Bays are capable of. As they build layers of sound into a house jam liberal use of vocal samples add an eerie touch.

The set is drawing into the final third and as such the band decides to kick things into high gear once again. A new glitchy drum beat comes in heavy on the e-kick and more sampler madness sets up the next jam. The techy beat quickly jumps back into full breakbeat mode to lead into the exciting finale.

The Bays Homepage
The Bays Myspace
Camp Bisco
The Disco Biscuits
Disco Biscuits Recordings