Together: Mary Anne Hobbs @ Paradise, 4.24.11

As Together, the fantastic, week-long showcase of some of electronic music’s brightest talent came to a close; it only made sense for Mary Anne Hobbs to be handed the reigns as the festival crossed the finish line on April 24^th. Jaunting across both coasts of the United States on her Road Warrior tour, Miss Hobbs brought Mike Slott (LuckyMe), Take (Alpha Pup), and Lorn (Brainfeeder) along for the ride; arranging a diverse range of selectors for the evening at the Paradise.

Following local favorites C Dubs and Steppo, Mike Slott kicked off the night with a twisted take on hip hop, arranging fluttering synths over abbreviated kicks and snares to create a dizzying instrumental journey. Tempos ebbed and flowed as Mike Slott’s beats were broken down and reassembled with his midi pad, which he hunched over and prodded throughout his set. Bubbly melodies rode over the skittering drums and throbbing bass, an intoxicating brew of percussion that alternated between head-nod inducing and, occasionally, jumbled. His playful rhythms warmed up the crowd as the room began to fill up, preparing for Take to step up to the decks.

As Take strutted across the stage, he immediately grasped the microphone and demanded that the house volume be turned up, a request he made several times until his frequencies could be felt by everyone in the room. Opening with a naked kick drum that reverberated throughout the venue, Take skipped across a variety of styles that invoked the sensibilities of techno, house, experimental beats, and dubstep. Chopped vocals and gooey harmonies helped hook in the crowd as his tracks fluidly slid between lurching half-step to deeper techno rhythms. A colorful DJ, Take worked the mix of club kids, stoners, and blog nerds into a trance, readying them for the heaviest set of the night, Lorn.

‘€œYo, cut these lights. They remind me of the police and I fucking hate the police,’€ declared Lorn, succinctly summing up the attitude of his tracks.  Brooding and sinister with a pinch of gangster swagger, Lorn’s set was like listening snippets of industrial music and hip-hop while completely submerged in water. Largely relying upon instrumental tracks, Lorn also sprinkled in a few vocal tunes, most notably his remix of Notorious B.I.G’s ‘€œSuicidal Thoughts’€ and his original track ‘€œRequiem’€ featuring Mobb Deep to keep the crowd engaged. As the crimson lights circled the room and crunk drum fills emanated from the speakers, Lorn’s set concluded, making way for headliner Mary Anne Hobbs.

Former host of BBC Radio 1′s Experimental program and most notable for bringing grime and dubstep music to the worldwide stage, Mary Anne Hobbs wasted no time with chit chat or playful introductory tracks. With only an hour to use, she rifled through a selection of some of the last year’s best dubstep tracks. Whereas the previous sets were comprised of mostly original tracks, Mary Anne Hobbs stuck to her guns, playing out the likes of Joy Orbison, Joker, Breakage, Distance, and Mala, injecting a healthy dose of UK dubstep into the evening. But dubstep isn’t really at its best if the listener doesn’t feel the sound’s energy; a need Miss Hobbs made sure didn’t go unfulfilled. Pulsating to the beat, whipping her hair in stride with each song and even jumping into the crowd during Collie Buds’ ‘€œFinally the Herbs Come Around,’€ she brought each tune to life with her contagious enthusiasm. As the night came to an end, she grinned slyly and asked ‘€œBoston, should be make this really filthy?’€ as the rolling piano notes of Doctor P’s 2010 dance floor pleaser ‘€œSweet Shop’€ galloped out of the speakers. The tune’s belching bass lines were a stark departure from the majority of her set and maybe an awkward note to end on, but her selection was otherwise superb. She seemed thrilled to bring her favorite sounds to a new city and it was evident that the feeling was mutual.

A diverse evening of electronic music that ranged from industrial hip hop to experimental beats and straight forward dubstep, Mary Anne Hobb’s Road Warrior tour gave a unique sampling of some of the underground’s most intriguing offerings. Let’s just hope the rest of the UK takes notice and begins including Boston on their visits to the East Coast. I think the packed house on Sunday proved the city is ready for it.