The Rust Music Takeover at Syndicate Sound Session 008 was an awesome showcase of talent and dedication. Like a masterclass in production, each of the night’s performers put forth their own brands of ingenuity and originality for all to see. Starting with the opener, Macro, all the way through to the final performance of the night from Smigonaut, all seven artists delighted onlookers with spirited demonstrations of their vibrant musical tastes. Without a doubt, all those that came out to bear witness were treated to an outstanding happening punctuated by standout performances and filled with a plethora of unique music.

The first performer of the night was a native Illinoisan who goes by Macro. Macro was fresh for this performance and started the evening’s entertainment in outstanding fashion. He’d been diligently preparing for this one, and I felt like his track selection was grimy with elements of hip-hop and rap. Plenty of upbeat energy, the style of his sound was a great way to welcome folks into the building. His opening effort laid a foundation that each subsequent artist built upon.

Dub of Kush also hails from Illinois and is an excellent moniker and artist name. It’s a title that feels like a celebration of the intersection between electronica and ganja. Dub of Kush is the duo of Akemi Almeida and Sophia Sutor, both of whom play pivotal roles within the Sub Valley Sound organization. They’re the purveyors of the fine Funktion-One sound system utilized at all Suburban Sound Syndicate events. Most often Akemi and her crew are on site in support, but this night she and Sophia got the opportunity to make their system sing. Their set was mainly chill, and I was delighted to discover that Akemi is also adept at scratching records, which she did several times throughout the Dub of Kush set.

Esok took the stage next, the first of five Rust Music artists as part of their takeover. His passion is for producing tracks that get his homies hyped. Anything beyond that is buttered biscuits. I chatted with Esok a bit before his performance, his Chicago debut where he confessed, this was only his fourth live performance. If he hadn’t shared this truth with me beforehand, I would have never known. His performance was excellent, he handled himself with confidence and aplomb, and I and many others in the audience vibed with his performance.

Up next, the debut of another duoship, Gunk. Gunk is the brand-new collaboration between Josh Kipersztok and David Westborn. Both long time Rust contributors, Gunk left the dance floor sweaty and moist with their slick and slimy beats. They continued the ongoing trend of excellence and played a bevy of unheard awesomeness to the delight of all. Do you funk with Gunk? I confidently advise you that you should.

Ovoid followed suit and continued the trend of imagination. His set was a beautiful blend of uptempo and downtempo selections. Each and every one of his songs was like a different mood eliciting a unique feeling. Healing, and reeling in each member of the audience. So pure, and decidedly unique. The cure we’re all searching for. Walk through that door and embrace yourself. Ovoid’s sound design is unlike any other. It was a real treat having him perform in our neck of the woods.

Speaking of unique sound design, Entangled Mind took the stage after Ovoid. She’d been diligently working on a plethora of new music in the months preceding. Tonight’s crowd was set to benefit from her hard work as we got to witness a display unlike anything we’d seen in recent memory. She kept a phenomenal tempo and pace, riddled with psy bass inspired tunage. Elegantly layered and expertly mastered, her sequences balanced beauty and grace with grit and distortion.

Smigonaut was the final performance of the night, although Josh did double duty as one half of Gunk. Like Entangled Mind, he’d also been hard at work in the studio putting together plenty of new material for a brand-new upcoming album. Before he started playing, he announced that he was going to play much of this new, unreleased album for our pleasure. Superb to hear, what a nice guy, and we all eagerly celebrated. For the next hour plus, the audience was treated to an outstanding and wholly original set courtesy of the one and only Smigonaut.

I’m happy to report that Syndicate Sound Session 008 was a wonderful and entertaining time. Certainly, a rousing success. It takes a lot of effort and investment to make these concerts go off without a hitch, and all those involved should take a few moments to celebrate their efforts. This was an outstanding celebration to witness and be part of. Rest assured, there are more like it still to come. On to the next one!

--Electro Scribe--