It’s now a year on from the fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse, a DIY art space in Oakland, California. The hear-breaking incident occurred during a DIY night put on by local label, 100% Silk. The disastrous event not only left the whole artistic community in mourning with the deaths of thirty-six artists, but also brought to light the desperate and now unavoidable issue of maintaining safe artistic spaces. Oakland is suffering from a housing crisis and without government attention, the lack of artistic spaces forces the creative community to cut corners and settle for totally unsafe project spaces and living quarters. With no project spaces, where can the city’s creative energy flourish?
It’s been incredibly hard for the Bay Area arts scene to swallow such an enormous loss to their community, especially losing artists who were just embarking on what were set to be incredibly promising careers – one of whom was Johnny Igaz (Nackt), who was DJ-ing that night. Paying due respect, San Francisco based label, Left Hand Path posthumously releases Igaz’s ‘Private Property Created Crime’. Every track on the EP has its own distinct vibrancy and together they display the wonderful range of emotion Igaz was posed to express. Take this EP both as a memorial and a celebration of the incredibly talented producer’s short-lived career.
On the A-side, ‘Blight Town’ is a haunting acid track with shady dance floor energy. Thudding kicks are melded with eerie arpeggiated keys and acidic dissonance.
The second track, ‘Septic Acid’ is proper chug. Swampy, slow motion acid that’s tinged with body music sensation. It starts out gritty and sexy, but melodic keys and celestial organs turn this into an awesomely touching groove.
On the flip, the EP becomes more euphoric with the much applauded, ‘Let's Go Shopping’. Built around whirling tribal percussions and a jacking kick, the track is wholey uplifting. More arpeggiated synths and a sensational bass line make it super tingling, playful disco. Finally, Michael Claus’s remix of ‘Balboa Park’ is definitely the deepest track. Yet it’s still got bouncy loose rhythm, overlaid with more melodic keys and quirky bleeps.
Keep an eye out next February for 100% Silk’s release, Silk to Dry The Tears, a compilation dedicated to all those who lost their lives in the incident and those effected, which contains more of Nackt’s unreleased work.
4.0/5
Buy: Vinyl
Words by Fred D