Blissed Out at Majestic Dwelling of Doom in Denton 9/21/10

Rewind to a week ago on Monday night:

This remarkable evening started off with Alex from the duo Blissed Out dj'ing Gucci Mane, Tupac n Snoop mashups, Lil Wayne, Waka Flocka and the like in between the opening local acts. These cuts were much superior selections than some sound guy would normally opt for (no offense to JC).

By the time headliners Blissed Out (NYC) played (around one something in the morning), i was surprised there wasn't more than the half dozen or so people in there to watch. Everyone else, as happens at many a house party, was outside drinking, socializing, or talking about leaving for Haileys, etc.

I had talked to the two guys from Blissed Out earlier in evening and asked if they wanted to smoke some of this spliff i was holding-to which Sasha and Alex both eagerly replied with an affirmative. So they're setting up and just when they are almost done i bust it out, ask if they are still down, and Alex say's "Let's do it". So Blissed Out got bligged out with superbligged himself and a few others, minutes before playing their inspiring genre blending mix of electronica with choice modern rap samples.

With the smell of tobacco mixed with the strong stench of skunky indica in the room, they started their "witch house" set (i first heard that term from Stoned Ranger in the description for this show, then DJ G posted the above link on FB today, thanks (it list : monday). A few songs in i noticed the sparsely used OJ the Juiceman sample "Aye!", most likely from "Make the Trap say Aye" single that he put out with Gucci Mane. The only reason it's hard to tell is because him saying "aye" is kind of his thing, like Young Geezy saying, "Yeaaaaaaaaah".

They mixed in unintelligible and processed vocals with synth patches over some beats. (Also, in Stoned Ranger's description of this band was early Aphex Twin, which is spot on as an influence). The set closer really blew my mind. It's their "remix" of Alicia Keys from "Empire State of Mind", but this sample wasn't clean and pretty like a GirlTalk mashup. Shit was grimy, nasty, and pitch shifted. Then they threw a break beat behind it and really started grooving things up, then washed it out, then they brought that shit back! It was a great closing to a fantastically original and fun set. I think this band has an edge over similar contemporaries like Fuck Buttons, who i've seen before and now would have to say pale in comparison.

Blissed Out- "Empire State of Mind Edit"- Synchronicity Space- Los Angeles, CA - 6/10/10 from Samantha Cornwell on Vimeo.

this one has a Rihanna sample, yuh:


And on a sad note: R.I.P. the great Majestic Dwelling of Doom. For years this house on 731 Texas Street in Denton has hosted shows from local bands like The Great Tyrant and Undoing of David Wright (in the early days when it was 8th Continent) to LA's Health and Tel Aviv's Monotonix. DOOM you will be missed.