• James Zabiela @ Pacha NYC
• 03.03.2006 ::: Paul Nahm

The diverse lineups that Pacha has to offer appeals to a wide demographic, which is key in drawing a large crowd to any one establishment. People choose where to drop their hard earned cheddar for varying reasons, but again, it is ultimately to have a whooping (or in the words of Boo – a woot woot) good time. As any club director will knowingly admit, appeasing everyone is difficult, and finding that middle path while not dumbing down the music is an arduous task that event coordinators must deal with. With that said, we see Pete Heller spearheading the Producers Series on February 25, 2006, and the following week, Pacha brings the German Maestro Timo Maas, with Sleepy & Boo as openers on March 3rd (for an expanded list of upcoming acts, please see below). Important to note, S & B now host events in the refurbished basement, where local disc jockeys are invited to perform sets. Again, we see the strong local aspect of the club’s intentions and this brings a huge draw from the New York metropolitan area.

This huge draw was evident on February 17, 2006, where Pacha, in conjunction with Rhythmism.com, saw local spinsters Joel Stadenco (www.stadenco.com) and Dennis Rodgers (www.112crew.com) open for all-around nice guy, James “We Feel Ya” Zabiela. The roll call for this event on Rhyhmism’s website was long, to say the least, and people had eagerly anticipated the party. This anticipation had a lot to do with S & B’s aggressive, yet balanced approach to promoting the shindig. Joel and Dennis both have a strong contingency in the New York area as well.

The main attraction for the evening was James Zabiela, affectionately known as ‘Jay-Zee’ by his numerous fans. Having been runner-up in the now defunct Muzik magazine’s ‘bedroom dj’ competition (pop quiz hot shot, who was first?), he was thrust into the spotlight after major praise and support by ‘The Man Like’ himself. Fast-forward 6 years to the present and James has been relentlessly touring the globe in support of his latest commercial mix compact disc ‘Utilities’ (Renaissance); a showcase of his craft and his ability to utilize the newest technology for mixing independent tracks, heavily relying on CDJ’s and the increasingly-popular Ableton.

Upon entering the club, I stepped directly into the main room, with Zabiela in total groove mode. Before going further, I’d like to mention that I oftentimes bring along someone not familiar with nightclubs and house music as a naïve gauge and different perspective. It’s not that I don’t trust my own judgments, but a fresh outlook never hurts. With that said, chunky house and robotic voices were the order of the night. The vibe of the room was great! Comfortably packed, people were getting their groove on. The sound system still sounded good and familiar faces were present which always makes it for a great night out. People were generally feeling the music, even those not familiar with house as a genre of dance music. JZ also proved that dj’s don’t have to play obvious big tracks to get a big room feeling.

After inhaling the atmosphere for a few minutes, I took a quick venture to the basement to check out the newly refurbished room, and some improvements were evident. Most notably, there is a service bar where beer can be purchased, as well as some fly Pacha threads. The staff was noticeably present, yet never obtrusive. Personally, I didn’t bother with the coat check, but the consensus was that other than the mass of people early in the evening, everything seemed smooth sailing. I’d like to mention that I tend not to harp on the negatives, but I have to say that the mixing in the basement was less than desirable. Rolling up with a large book of compact discs and pressing play on a cd player does not constitute as one being a performance artist. Period. I’ll say this once, and hope I never have to repeat it: The reason why dj’s are paid or why it’s considered an art-form is because of this - DJ’s sift through the countless pieces of produced music in the world, trying to find those golden nuggets hidden by all the shit that’s out there. Everyone listens to music at home, yeah? In essence, we are all dj’s when we set up our playlists on our collective ITunes, Winamp, or whatever. When I go out, I want to hear someone who has taken the time and energy to sift through all the music out there, and program a set in an agreeable context. Agree to disagree, but I’m adamant in my belief. 90% of dj’ing has been said to be track selection, with the other 10% being the technical skills. If the mixing isn’t even there, even after years of practicing, it’s time to pick up a new hobby, because for some, dj’ing isn’t a hobby but a way of life.

Mildly disappointed with the on-goings in the basement, and keep in mind, this can be vetted with my companion for the night, I returned to the main floor. Things were progressing and moving along, and then wham! Come 4:00 a.m., Zabiela drops the breaks on the masses. That’s what I’m talking about!! I felt like how Stella did when she got here groove back. The music got my rump shaking and you could also see it in the people’s eyes – they were all thoroughly enjoying it. Point of contention: I’ve written it before, but I’d like to address the lights in Pacha. Do people like the strobe lights? While the technology for sound has been most important, which I whole-heartedly agree, the visuals seem to have taken a step back. Nowadays, many jocks bring along their own visual artists as well. Visuals are an integral component for the nightlife experience, but it should never overshadow nor take away from the music. Remember, I’m not going to a light show, but I’m going out to hear some dance music.

In any case, I wanted to stay until the end, but prior obligations forced me to depart. However, during my time there, Zabiela did his thang, and I left to continue along my journey for the next fun party.

• ::: www.pachanyc.com