We Fear Silence

 
Art & Culture

Last UK gig for Eric Lewis & Merwyn Sanders as Virgo Four
plus Tom Trago, Rick Wilhite, Cosmin TRG & BNJMN

Saturday 6 August 2011

If both Resident Advisor, Juno Plus and Little White Earbuds all award you their Label of The Year 2010, you know you must be doing something right – and when Fact include you in their Top 10 Labels and you scoop Compilation of The Year at Bleep, it’s fair to say you must be doing a pretty damn good job. Beginning life as a quality Amsterdam record store, Rush Hour has grown into a label and distributor with a worldwide reputation for releasing ridiculously good house & techno – but has done so without ever losing its soul and passion, and without ever putting money ahead of the music. With this in mind, We Fear Silence have given Rush Hour free reign at Cable on Saturday 6 August to showcase some of the considerable talent on their label – including live sets from both Chicago house duo Virgo Four and Amsterdam’s Tom Trago, plus Detroit legend Rick Wilhite, Cosmin TRG and BNJMN.

Virgo Four are truly Chicago House’s unsung heroes. Those in the know wouldn’t hesitate to mention their name in the same breath as Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson and Larry Heard – and although they never reached the commercial success of the aforementioned Godfathers, they are no less worthy of the title. Tracks such as Take Me Higher and In A Vision plough a deep, powerful groove that is irresistible, and with the release of Resurrection earlier this year – a batch of previously unheard and unreleased material from 1984 – 1990, a new generation are discovering their sound. This will be a particularly special gig for Eric Lewis and Merwyn Sanders, as Cable will be their last UK gig as Virgo Four. The duo are taking time off from playing live in order to spend more time in the studio. Although they haven’t ruled out future gigs either separately or in another capacity, sadly this is your last chance to catch them playing together on these shores as Virgo Four.

Tom Trago began his DJ career a decade ago as a hip-hop DJ in Amsterdam, but it was when he began discovering the world of house and techno that his true talents began to shine. His first single Live at the BBQ (2006) became a cult classic, and since then he has developed a sound of his own that combines the soul of Chicago and the dancing shoes of disco. In March this year he released his first full length solo album Iris featuring collaborations with artists such as Tyree Cooper and Romanthony, showcasing his diversity as a producer as he dabbled in hip-house, electro funk and future garage. He is a well-loved member of the Rush Hour family and his live set at Cable should not be missed.

Rick Wilhite set up the legendary Vibes record store in Detroit, was a founding member of the infamous Three Chairs collective alongside Theo Parrish and Kenny Dixon Jnr, and has rightly earned the nickname The Godson for his incredible contribution to house music. After a quarter of a century of his work, Rush Hour last year released The Godson & Soul Edge – a limited edition compilation of some of his classic tracks – previously almost impossible to get hold of.

Completing the line-up is Romanian producer Cosmin TRG – who made people sit up and listen with his first release on Hessle Audio in 2007, plus talented Londoner BNJMN, whose debut album on Rush Hour Plastic World received critical acclaim.

All in all, a line-up that reflects Rush Hour’s commitment to both honouring legends and nurturing new talent; to seeking out the best artists from their home city or across the world, and most of all to keep bringing us music so good it almost hurts. Long may they continue to do so.

Saturday 6th August 2011
We Fear Silence present Rush Hour
10pm – 6am
10 Early Bird / 12 Advance Tickets/ 12 students OTD / 15 OTD
Tickets
Tube Station: London Bridge