- Although three of White Material's five artists live in New York, it's rare to see more than two of them on the same bill in the city. The elevated profiles of Young Male and Galcher Lustwerk insure some consistent visibility, but with DJ Richard now based in Berlin, Morgan Louis in Connecticut, and Alvin Aronson yet to release a full EP, their appearances are rarer. Also, the crew's music is at odds with most of the larger New York clubs. There's definitely a buzz surrounding them in Europe, but in NYC, the hubbub remains low-key.
With this in mind, it came as a surprise to find the entire crew booked for a rooftop party on July 3rd at Output. The event was promoted by Dark Disco, a roving and long-running series with a consistent focus on harder sounds. A good fit, then, for White Material.
Doors were at 3 PM, so I was a bit late for Aronson, but I caught the last few tracks of Galcher Lustwerk, who was in fine form. Rather than using the lounge-like area on the roof, which draws energy away from the dance floor, the booth and soundsystem were situated on a rarely-used outer balcony. Fitted with artificial turf, the spot had better views of the waterfront and skyline, and made for a more focussed floor. Morgan Louis, the crew's most experienced DJ, stepped up at 5:30 PM, moving between Newworldaquarium, Mr. G, Mood II Swing and other excellent house with ease. Next was DJ Richard, whose first half-hour was surprisingly subdued. A little later, punters filed in and Richard dropped into full, raunchy swing, playing Drexciya and dark acid so intense that the occasional sloppy mix passed by unnoticed.
The sun was setting when Young Male began, and he took full advantage of this, delivering a set of textured, melodic techno as the last rays fell. It became harder or housier at times, with a few of his own unreleased tracks peppered throughout. For the final set of the night, all five DJs went back-to-back. The crew's chemistry was infectious, making it my most enjoyable Output night in recent memory.