Holy Ghost DJ Set @ Kingdom Saturday May 17th 2015
Young professionals swoon to the business casual beats that flow from the fingers of NYC-based duo, Holy Ghost!, while they blow off steam from their stressful, aderall-induced, 60 hour work weeks. Saturday night at Kingdom was yet another perfectly orchestrated dance party put on by the esteemed gentleman of Learning Secrets, AKA ‘The Pied Pipers of Austin Electronica’, specifically for the young, ambitious, and restless youth of Austin. The ambient beats initially put forth by the duo quickly manifested into Nu Disco-influenced gold that is as confident as it is infectious. The sexiness of the Holy Ghost! sound doesn’t take any shortcuts in their electronic appeal. Rather than adopting the conventional, raunchy and, directionless dubstep that has won over the vapid hoards of culture-starved sorority girls across America in recent years, Holy Ghost! has instead opted for suave yet subtle electro-pop hooks that coalesce perfectly with inspiring and uplifting vocal harmonies.
A healthy mix of ravers, well-dressed twenty-somethings, and goddess-like women comprised the crowd gathered at midnight to witness the genius that is Holy Ghost! Kingdom served as the perfect venue for late night dance party, with it’s nondescript entrance protruding from a shady downtown alley, only adding to the already evident exclusive and mysterious aesthetic. The more obvious reason Kingdom was chosen as the venue for the electro-dance duo is its ability to remain open past 2 AM and keep its patrons dancing and reveling for an extra two hours until 4 AM.
Local electronica act, Orthy, who has begun his ascent into becoming one of Austin’s better known electronic acts, opened for Holy Ghost! and set the stage for the visiting Manhattanites, by eliciting a favorable and enthusiastic response in the form of dance from the pre-midnight crowd already gathered. Ian Orth, the man behind Orthy, is not only a musical talent but has also proven himself a deft promoter and booker via his decade-long project called, Learning Secrets. Ian and his business partner/ bandmate Jeramy Neugent scour the entire country looking for hidden gem electro-artists to showcase in Austin for Learning Secrets. Their ability to bring some of the biggest names in electro as well as identify new talented up-and-comers, has given Austin, which is better known for its honky-tonk country and roots rock&roll, a beacon of electro-dance hope in which local fans can latch onto.
At the stroke of midnight, Holy Ghost! commenced their DJ set which featured many of their major hits which were either remixed or elongated into trance-dance odysseys. Holy Ghost!, like their fellow synth-pop constituents Chromeo, The Juan Maclean, Classixx, and Miami Horror, has some instantly recognizable tracks that anyone who doesn’t live under a rock would be able to recall. While playing a DJ set doesn’t allow for Alex Frankel or Nick Millhiser to showcase either of their trademark vocals, it does give them the autonomy to mix around different tracks and showcase their favorite remixes of their songs by other artists.
As the clock hit 2 AM, the tiny beads of sweat on my brow had suddenly turned into the mighty Euphrates, pouring down my face and, into the ever-widening dark moisture circle on my shirt. Even though the music was still pumping, once I turn into a human sprinkler, which means every dance move I throw out or sudden move I make results in a splash zone ( Like Shamu at SeaWorld) of sweat going all over those around me, it is usually time for me to hit the dusty trail home or at least cool down outside so I don’t scare off every female within a twenty foot proximity.
As I left through the alley way doors of Kingdom with Holy Ghost! still going full force behind me in their DJ set, I realized that leaving at 2 AM might have been the right move. Especially considering that the bars had just emptied their most inebriated onto the streets and, many of these semi-conscious, incomprehensible, buffoons were headed towards the music blaring out of Kingdom’s doors like flesh-eating zombies shuffling towards the last uninfected human in town.
Like Burt Bacharach wrote, the key in life is “Knowing When To Leave” and although the people dancing close to me, who were doused in my sweat, and not theirs, may contend I stayed a tad too long based on my visible sweat rings. I know that nights like these are few and far between. When Austin offers a quality showcase of electronic talent, fused with the perfect dance venue and, a crowd of beautiful and enthusiastic fans all looking to let the work week’s weight off their shoulders, this is not a time to be demure and reserved but an open environment in which one can taste life and all that it has to offer.
