Juan Atkins & Moritz Von Oswald

Société Des Arts Technologiques, Montreal QC, June 2

Photo: Dustin Morris

BY Dustin MorrisPublished Jun 3, 2013

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The rig for the world premier of Juan Aktins and Mortiz Von Oswald (aka Borderland) was something else. Three tables hosted a handful of laptops, controllers, keyboards, a launchpad and a giant mixing desk. Oswald and Aktins were sat up front on either side of the stage as if they were preparing to pilot a starship. Oswald stayed cool and collected, staring cold-faced into the crowd, while Aktins cracked the occasional grin as fans shouted in support. The set was meant to be a live rendition of their forthcoming album that essentially features one main track revisited in different ways, and it definitely felt like that. Thundering bass-lines drew gasps from the crowd as it became clear the set was going to cater mostly to fans of dub techno. Tracks were drawn out over long periods; Mortiz threw heavily delayed effects over the mix, while Atkins relied on classic house chords and subtle stabs to fill the time. The set finished much like it began, with the depth of powerful frequencies warming the room and delighting passionate audiophiles.

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