May 02, 2001

The Kamaole has a pretty standard bliss jam that breaks down after the 11 minute mark before rebuilding back into a Kamaole peak. The part after the breakdown sounds a little bit like Bernstein & Chasnoff, but of course these two songs sound very similar already. M.E.M.P.H.I.S. is a banner version. The first jam begins with infectious Magner hooks over a full-band groove. After a steady build in intensity, the jam reaches a symphonic crescendo beginning around the 7-8 minute mark. From here Barber takes over and builds to a strong peak. The M.E.M.P.H.I.S. outro is a mellow groove that melts into a gorgeous Hope intro. Great use of atmosphere. The Hope is a typically strong spring 01 version, with a vaguely dubby bass line and vaguely breakbeat rhythm. There is a breakdown into a Barber-heavy passage about midway through, which builds up with patience to a strong ending. Munchkin is an excellent version, with some gorgeous Barber riffs underscored by a melancholy atmospheric synth line. Magner gradually returns with the 01 trance synths and builds to a strong Munchkin ending. Wet is standard.

The Overture is a standard dnb vehicle, but it’s so well-executed and I so enjoy that style. Magner in particular does a fantastic job crafting a psychedelic atmosphere. Plan B has a totally surprising, slowed down trance groove in the main jam. I did not expect much based on the time-stamp, but this might be the most interesting jam of the show. Plan B melts into Spacebird, which is standard, and in turn melts into Spaga. The first jam in Spaga features liberal usage of an aggressive 8-bit sounding synth and a vocalizer effect. It yields to a more conventional Spaga jam before long, which isn’t terribly exciting, but the first part is interesting for its uniqueness. The buildup is cool, but the jam loses considerable steam before the ending. The second jam in Spaga is decently long with some electronic synth work from Magner. The ending of Spaga is mashed up with a Confrontation intro, and the DJ segue is well-executed. The Confrontation composition retains traces of the Spaga ending. Confrontation is a mellow and tense trance vehicle that builds up to a Barber-heavy and unconventionally tense peak before the ultimate return to Confrontation.

4/5. A significant improvement from the previous night. The Plan B is the winner of this show, but there are plenty of highlights in both sets.

Stray Observations: Some amusing Mormon related banter prior to set two, as the band plugs their upcoming show in Salt Lake City.