INTIMATE & UNDERGROUND v6 review… when Fridays are awesome

It always begins with a sluggish Monday morning. The vertex of my unrest and underlying discontent. I spend my weekdays in a constant state of confusion, plugged into the hive. I resign to my cubicle at work. And pace myself with promises of breaking free at the end of the week. I share this feeling with all youth born into a ruptured world, where what we want is often overshadowed by what we’re told we should want and do.

Come the glorious awaited weekend, and I know that I’ve been out and about enough that the patina of Big-DJ-Big-Club nights has worn off for me. I want to have something different please. Call it an electronic meditation, a worm in my head, or just a fresh party philosophy. I want off the beaten track.

INTIMATE & UNDERGROUND events at Toika are my pursuit of a special musical experience. Where the typical sounds resonating through my city are drowned by an emerging, persistent counterculture. On August 2, btb delivered the sixth in the I&U series, the much anticipated return of the DJ that crystallized the I&U vibe and began a movement.

Ricky Ryan is this guy from Argentina, with longish black hair and incredible cheekbones. He is a DJ, a music man, and a key part of my curriculum in the progressive house music experience. At I&U v6, Ricky created an ambience on the dance floor that had every foot tapping, spinning and sliding; a fitting and much-needed follow-up to v5.

Once again, the btb crew set out to prove that we understand what our friends are looking for, and this is reflected in the essentials of our nouveau nites. From the perfect EQ on the mixer, the headliner talent, to the trend-setting “btb fans” – our goal is to be entrenched in all the ingredients that make memorable everlasting experiences. We’ve been transmitting these signals for seven years now, can you hear us?

I hope this feeling spills over to the next I&U this Friday with Luke Fair. To prepare for it, feast on Ricky’s latest series inspired by his jaw-dropping sets at Toika. The first a melodic trip for the Cool Podcast; the second, some deep, clubby funk for Austral Mixing; and part three, a digital trek through Ricky’s production mind for the Ready Mix Sessions.

Download (left-click and unzip):
Rick Ryan – www.coolpodcast.com.br – October 2009 – Part 1
Rick Ryan – www.australmixing.com – October 2009 – Part 2
Rick Ryan – www.readymixrecords.com – October 2009 – Part 3