"Jazid Up" is refreshing. In the same manner James Bond orders a drink,

Mushroom Records create an evening of class and attitude. Acid jazz is a

distilled version of Jazz. Where it lacks in technical prowess and

musicianship, it develops the "moddish" aesthetics of the underground.

Transfer the guitars and drums to a pair of turntables and records, one

achieves a state of modern sublimity. For example, the juxtaposition of the

hardwood floors and video wallpaper creates this air of subverted decadence:

it is a space to revel in the after hours' couture of a digital age. And I

loved the feeling of this lingering grandeur; I felt like a hip-cat: meow.

This aura was partly caused by the spaciousness of the club, and the large

dance floor and lounge contained within it. Yet, the DJs, like jazz

musicians, created an evening of swank and demulsification by combining the

rhetoric of funk, acid jazz, and trip-hop. Thus Mushroom Jazz Monday plays

upon familiar ideas and tweaks them to deliver a martini with a Technicolor

garnish.

Located at Big Heart City( 836 Mission St. ) , the décor of the club is

casually ostentatious. It combines contrasting elements into a scene where

there appears to be a natural cohesiveness. As I stepped into the room, I

was taken back by the canopied ceiling and walls, the black bar, and the

wooden floors: it was a voyage into an Alexander Calder. There was a

"futuristic" lounge across from the bar. Because it was blanketed in a

different light, it had the impression of being separate from the rest of

the venue. This juxtaposition heightened its digital feel. Upon the walls of

this "cyber-lounge", there hung "video wallpaper"( by Colourize): a collage

of quickly moving images and colors. The dance floor was in the rear of the

venue. It had plenty of room to shake a tail-feather and a wing. Lining the

left wall, a row of tables stood with candles on them; thus enforcing the

melding of the jazz with acid and a lot of vinyl. Amidst all of this, hors

d'oeuvres were served( supplied by Annad ).The club presented a mildly

decadent view of class and elegance.

As the driving force of the evening, the music supplied the theme music for

an ultra-cool evening. It sauntered and then frenetically pushed you on to

the dance floor. As good DJs should, the evening was controlled by their

choice of loops and beats. The night begun with DJ Miquel ( Release )

mixing a rising tempo of jazz and house. By the middle of the set, the heavy

mixture of rhapsodic beats, bass, and jazzy overtures was beginning to erupt

from his turntables. The next set was delivered by DJ Rasta Cue Tip. He

began the set with the rhythm from the song "White lines", then, moving to A

Tribe Called Quest tune and into some James Brown. The evening exploded,

pulled back, and fulfilled a cycle as DJ Rasoul brought the crowd into a

mellow-cool overdrive. His set was characterized by a very trippy-ambient

soul- this does not mean it did not move me- yet it did with a subtle drive

and revamping of the typical loops and cuts: the interlude of horns

descended from the speakers into a fauna of bass and pulsating beats.

Jazid Up has the swagger and charisma to charm even the stodgiest of lounge

lizards and party-goers. For its opening Monday night, there was a nice

sized crowd. More importantly, it appeared that everyone was enjoying

himself or herself in the way they wanted: there was enough space and

ambience to accommodate the most spacious of dancers and the most leisurely

of "chillers". With the interesting line-ups to follow, the future of Mushroom Jazz Mondays looks good.

As for my trip, I was shaken, stirred, and my drink went down just right.

DJ "Rasta" Cue-Tip's Pix:

DJ Pinna

Armond Van Helden

Various Blends

Peanut Butter

Thievery Corporation

DJ Miquel's Pix:

Spacehopper- "Cutee"

Total- "Sitting at Home" remix

Migs- "Zebra Record"

Dru Hill- "You Are Everything" remix

Upcoming Jazid Up nights:

7.19.99 Julius Papp / DJ fluid / J Boogie / Saga

7.26.99 Mark Farina / DJ Iz / Mark Johas

8.02.99 Julius Papp / Rasoul / Yamu

info line: 415 522 UPUP