Gravity Skank : dance music: Chase & Status album launch

Last Thursday I returned to a venue close to my heart, Kentish Town Forum, for the Chase & Status album launch party. The gig was set up as percentage of the Q Awards, a rather bizarrely matched series of events to look down to the annual music prizegiving. (I say bizarrely matched because Q magazine is aimed at an older, mainstream market, whereas the medicine of Chase &

Status is more usually found on the iPods of hip young things with a Mixmag subscription. The launch party for 'No More Idols' was a packed, lively affair. There was much dancing, much singing along, and still a bit of crowd surfing. This is what I claim The Pendulum Effect, where the habits of the rock scene have crept into drum & bass parties. Ten days ago, if you'd elbowed your neighbour while moshing on the dancefloor, or lobbed a pint of beer across the crowd, you'd have been granted a smack on the wrists pretty quick. It simply wasn't acceptible then. So imagine my surprise at beholding a mini wall of death form in the sum of the Forum. Chase & Status are awesome producers and, having toured with chart toppers like Prodigy and Dizzee Rascal, aim high with their live production standards. This issue featured lighting effects and visuals to touch any Chemical Brothers gig and still a rather natty drum kit on stage. The medicine of Chase & Status - who have truly nailed the D&B, dubstepand breakbeat scenes - is crisp, anthemic and accessible, and I don'tmean that in the patronising sense. The duo performed only a handful of tracks from their new album, but adequate to prove that it will have a healthy dose of catchy vocals and infectious basslines. The balance of the shindig was devoted to bangers from their incredible first album, 'More Than Alot'. MC Rage joined them on stage, doing his usual hype-man routine of bigging up London. More than a lot. The record also featured a list of guests including grime bod Tempah T.