Sam Gellaitry @ Jack Rabbit Slim’s
w/ Montell2099
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Sam Gellaitry is possibly the world’s youngest and most forward thinking producer currently in electronic music right now. The little Scotsman who begun writing at 15 has managed to get across to the states over 15 times already. Finally someone got this rude boy over to Australia.
Support for the night from across the lake came in the shape of Montell2099 from New Zealand. Considering I hadn’t heard anything from this guy before he had some strong, sexy things in his arsenal and a similar sound to that of Sammy G’s with just a touch more hip hop. The crowd however was waiting in anticipation for the main man.
Humbly taking the stage in his thick silver chain and Carrots T-shirt, Sam Gellaitry just got straight in. There were no bells or whistles, just a showcase of his work. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it was just him and the decks mixing and creating a flowing soundscape which, for me, told us that he was here for the right reasons, cutting through the crap and hype of some artists.
Kicking it into gear with Long Distance it was met with rambunctious hoots from the mostly male dominated crowd. The punters were slightly cooler than the normal Slim’s clientele with someone sporting a safety pin in their ear. This made it feel even more like a boiler room set, the mood was dark and progressive and looking out it was mostly mellow, people bopping along for the majority of the set to songs like Paper and Jungle Waters. Aside from the few ravers at the front who couldn’t get enough of the guy it was generally about listening to the music and not getting completely buck wild.
After a little chat backstage about his influences you can understand the jazzy undertones in his music paired with a strong sense of hip hop. From a largely trap focus he really pulled out all the stops from funk to future to the heavier bass things and that’s where you noticed his talent as both DJ and producer which is hard to find. Throwing in Tokyo Drift just past the one hour mark he hyped them back up and in for the remaining 30 minutes. With a very long clap signaling the end I believe people really got what they came for – an eclectic collection of energy filled music. The sky’s the limit for this wee Scotsman.
Words and Photos by
MIA CAMPBELL-FOULKES
