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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, September 19, 2003

Dan does funk, Murray styles ska

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

DJ Dan's recent high-profile projects include remixes for groups such as Filter, Groove Armada and Orgy.

DJ Dan

9 p.m.-4 a.m. Saturday

Wave Waikiki

$5-$15, 21 and older (all tickets at the door only)

591-3500; 941-0424, ext. 12

On Maui: 9:45 p.m. today, Casanova's, 1126 Makawao Road, (808) 572-0220

Chris Murray

6-8:30 p.m. today, Manoa Garden, UH-Manoa upper campus; free

8:30 p.m. Saturday, Coffee Talk; $5

9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Saturday, Anna Bannana's; $6, 21 and older

Noon-1 p.m. Monday, Kapi'olani Community College Café; free

Devotees of live ska from the Great White North and DJed funkdafied house have reason to rejoice this weekend.

No, Honolulu's club scene won't be playing host to some macabre marriage of genres — though I suppose a long-lost ska experiment from Rush remixed by a suddenly progressive, house-less Daft Punk could yield mildly interesting results. Instead, prepare to fork over separate covers to hear a couple of noteworthy and diametrically opposed artists at upcoming after-hours parties.

The mixing style of Los Angeles-based breakbeat and house afficionado DJ Dan has typically been all about bringin' in the funk. That's hardly a surprise, considering Dan's decision to work with breakbeat, a genre that grew out of — and still essentially clings to — sped up disco beats. But with the house genre's continued splintering into electronics-heavy sub-genres perceived as far cooler than his highly energetic, danceable — read that as disco-lovin' — stylings, Dan deserves props for keeping his beats instrumentally real.

Since making a name for himself on L.A.'s early '90s rave scene, Dan's profile has risen via much international touring, well-received mix CDs, and a few high-profile remixing projects. Dan's portfolio includes remixes for Filter, Groove Armada, A Tribe Called Quest, and, most notably, a million-selling remix of Orgy's 1998 cover of New Order's "Blue Monday."

After spinning at the Maui club Casanova tonight, Dan will get behind the tables at Wave Waikiki Saturday with Daniel J, G-Spot, IKON, Scotty Soul, Sovergn T, KSM and Seattle-based co-headliner DJ Trek.

Meanwhile, the ska stylings of Canadian singer-songwriter Chris Murray are one part straight-outta-Kingston Jamaican reggae and another part straight-outta-London British ska revivalist. You can either chill to it with your favorite, uh, herbal refreshment or skank to its veddy-chugging beats on a dance floor.

As he's often a bit campfire folky on the acoustic guitar, you might also find it handy to have a plate full of s'mores for snackin' and a nearby tree to hug. (And I mean that in a good way. Honest.)

Now L.A.-based, Murray is still best known in his homeland as vocalist/lead songwriter with now-defunct Toronto-based ska revivalists King Apparatus. He's played here twice — with The Toasters in 1993 and solo in 2001.

If Murray shows off his music's varied tones as proficiently in a live setting as he does on disc, attracting audiences to his handful of club gigs this weekend in our eternally ska- and reggae-crazed town should be a cinch.

Fire up your PC and sample Murray's music for yourself at www.chrismurray.net.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.