Various, Rawk And Roll Grime

Posted by admin in Music, News on 10 29th, 2007 | no responses

Portland | Ralph Kramden

Out from the drudgery of Portland’s always-struggling dance scene comes Various, a monthly hosted by dj’s Ryan Organ and Monkeytek. With almost a year under its belt, Various has found its recent residency at Branx 320 SE 2nd, dropping all things dub every first Saturday of the month. Monkeytek and Ryan Organ specialize in dub-oriented selections from classic 70’s dub to dancehall, ragga jungle to dubstep. Various is also known for supplying a healthy dose of featured guests each month, making sure the nights dj’s all blend within its context. But one thing that differentiates this night from others around town is the subtle precision and care that goes on behind the scenes.

Both Monkeytek and Organ are true purveyors of sound and come equipped each night with a slew of unreleased dub plates, stringing together a unique and interesting evening proper. When not focusing on Various, Ryan co manages for New York’s Offshore recordings, runs the web based label Aleutian audio, and has had a weekly radio show on kpsu.org / kbps 1450 am for nearly 3 years (http://kpsu.org/). Monkeytek works for lo dubs records, finding dubstep artists and tunes to release on 12″ only. He also has been playing a monthly show on North London station subfm (http://www.subfm.com/) since March 2006. Using Various as their labor of love, the duo’s night has been gaining a reputation for being nothing short of a musical orgy. With tasteful mixes and top shelf selections, the nights clientele get treated first class, further enhancing the evenings amazing vibe.

In a recent chat with Monkeytek as to the present and future state of Various I had a deeper sense of a true dj at work. Scrapping the ego and usual scenester etiquette, Monkeytek’s mantra is that of humble servitude to the music he is innately connected to. This is the kind of sincerity that makes nights like these special and the Various crew show no signs of compromising their vision. Monkeytek explains, “the idea was, and is still, to get together with friends to play music we like, spanning different genres of bass music. It has become, in the larger sense, a remedy to club nights playing one genre all night.

Beyond concerns with fresh tunes and the proper environment, Various have also been meticulous in choosing the right kind of sound. Going to great lengths to ensure the soundsystem is worthy of representing the music they lay down, Monkeytek provides further insight. “You can’t just plug in any speakers and expect it to reproduce those bass heavy sounds, this always comes before us making profit on the night.” They know their sound and put forth genuine concern for the listener at large, which is rare in these days of average club nights.