RBMANYC: ‘Four Corners of the Clash’ + Interviews with Just Blaze, “Star Eyes,” & Max Glazer
It was a nice, breezy night in Williamsburg, when a room full of music aficionados got together and enjoyed Red Bull Music Academy's Four Corners of the Clash. Four Corners--an event that joined heavy-hitting forces Que Bajo, Federation sound, Just Blaze, and Trouble & Bass--reunited the competitors from last year's Culture Clash, but this time as friends instead of opponents.
The compact, yet spacious, Baby's All Right was the perfect venue with its nicely sized dance floor. If you know anything about Red Bull Music Academy, you'll know they have some of the best DJ booths and stages; the Four Corners stage was beautifully lit with hues of purple and blue, setting a luxurious mood for attendees. And most importantly, the sound system allowed the audience to feel the music.
Que Bajo's opening tropical bass was the perfect preparation for Federation Sound-Max Glazer's dancehall set. The duo effortlessly mixed and blended several hip shaking hits, making it difficult for the wall huggers to leave the dancefloor. If you were able to make it to last year's Culture Clash, you'll know there were a lot of "special guests" involved including Camron, Robin S, 2 Chainz, Nina Sky, and more! Max Glazer carried over some of that "special guest" energy with him to Four Corners, bringing out rap duo Smif-n-Wessun and the "past and future of reggae": Shaggy, Ricky Blaze, and Kranium. Aside from the guests, Max put other dancehall DJs to shame with his flawless set; he has been doing this for a while now after all.
Just Blaze transitioned from heavy dancehall into his signature hip-hop set, playing his well-known produced hits. He eventually fused the hip hop and electronic worlds, giving the crowd an appetizer plate of the genres he can play. Trouble & Bass brought their vibrant energy, haunted sounds, and Culture Clash winner attitude with them, ending the night with a BANG!
Elektro got to speak with some of the performing talent at the event - Check out our interviews with Just Blaze, Vivian "Star Eyes" of Trouble & Bass, & Max Glazer from Federation Sound in the following pages!