Memphis has been a cultural hotbed for new types of music since the inception of the blues, so it’s not any surprise that Memphis’ favorite late night connoisseurs of sophisticated beats are spinning new heat from across the globe on a weekly basis.
For the past year and a half, Handsome Mark and Witnesse have been burning up the Mollie Fontaine Lounge with a melting pot of some of the freshest sounds out there. Recently adding local up-and-coming DJ Wukasch to their ranks, the group is a force that is not to be missed. I have gotten a chance to see these kids in action several times and it’s never been disappointing.
Diversity is the name of the game, and these guys are definitely players. Styles range from strangely timed hip-hop to the perpetual kick of techno. There is also a healthy dose of tasty side-chain compression and even some wobblebass, sliding in smoothly outside of its natural habitat of dubstep. Southern rap, European electro, and glitch-hop are just a few styles exhibited by the trio on the reg.
On a recent night out I stopped by to check out the trio and the bar was packed.
First at bat was Handsome Mark, who handily man-handled the opening set, playing hyped-up electro then switching it up with some of Germany’s famous jazzanova. Wukash dropped beats like bombs, bursting out a wild range of firepower including ArabMuzik, Radiohead, and Soulja Boy. Witnesse made me a believer when he took the reigns, tossing up a mix of 8-Ball, Gnarles Barkley, and a new personal favorite, LazerSword.
All three sets were as intense as boyscouts and got me hyped on plenty more than six occasions. If you like a colorful cocktail of new music chock full of flavors from all over, definitely check these guys out.
