Metal mouthed messiah returns for round two

Last August drum n bass superstar, Goldie, made his first visit to Beijing. Just another big-name DJ rolling through town, right? Anyone actually at that packed-to-capacity buffet of beats and bass would disagree, as Goldie and MC Lowqui threw down for over four hours. Goldie calls his landmark set “one of the best gigs of last year for me,” continuing to laud the “outstanding, excellent, amazing” Beijing crowd. On May 10, the Golden One returns to shake the foundations of newly re-opened Vic’s.

Goldie is inimitable. His talent, trademark gold teeth and cool n deadly demeanor launched him as drum n bass’s first global superstar. His excitement for DnB is obvious, a welcome change from the many coldly efficient, businesslike DJs we frequently see in Beijing. Goldie credits DnB’s global expansion to inclusivity. “It reaches out to people, it’s not a ‘closed’ scene, and people can get into it at any level,” says the DJ, producer and label owner. Drum n bass, like Goldie himself, sprang from multicultural beginnings. Hip-hop, techno, reggae and jazz layered on accelerated breakbeat rhythms and powerful, distinctive basslines created Britain’s first indigenous form of black music. “Drum n bass, musically, is more progressive, and hip hop, lyrically, had these barriers … I wanted something that was more ‘me,’ about where I’m from.” There was also DnB’s populist appeal. “Drum n bass also has that euphoric edge; the emotional atmosphere is totally different [from hip-hop].”

Goldie has released music under various monikers. His most recent album, “Malice in Wonderland,” made under the Rufige Kru alias, is a departure from earlier work. “Conceptually I’ve moved on from what I’ve made under the Goldie name,” he says flatly. The Rufige Kru material “is about having fun,” he explains, “It’s definitely a dancefloor album.”

Encouraging new artists and producers is something Goldie is equally passionate about. “It’s our duty to help bring up the new generation,” he says, “give the younger guys ideals … and encourage them. When I first started, when [drum n bass godfathers] Grooverider and Fabio used to speak to me, I’d go away buzzing, it meant everything to me.”

Goldie continues to learn from different musical forms, as past collaborations with artists like KRS-One and Noel Gallagher suggest, but his hopes for future collaborators might surprise. Aside from classical ensemble, Heritage Orchestra, and Aussie experimental jazz band, Triosk, he’s hyped about Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service. “Those guys could call me any fucking day of the week and I’d be up for it,” he says.

When asked how his performance differs from other DJs, Goldie pulls no punches, “I’m 40 years old and I’m still having a love affair with this music…I play the spectrum of sound. I move back and forth through time using the music, not many others do that. I deliver.”