Seattle – Deltron 3030 played Showbox at the Market November 17. Any Deltron 3030 fan has been waiting patiently for the Oakland trio to give us some new music and new shows and they’ve finally delivered. It was well worth the wait.
A “lead” (if you will) rapper can easily become the show and overshadow any musical accompaniment. With Deltron 3030, this was totally not the case. Del the Funky Homosapien produced clean raps wasn’t necessarily the main event. In fact, it was easy to focus on the accompanying music above the lyrics and therefore appreciate how the group has worked within the settings of their last album but have totally restructured, reinvented and revamped themselves.
Accompanied with an entire orchestra, this was a true performance. As heard in the sophomore album, Event II, the orchestra ties together the album’s theme. The riff that first surfaces in “The Return” reemerges throughout the record and did so in the group’s set as well. Interestingly following with the album itself, Deltron 3030 even incorporated some of the record’s spoken voice segments that interject narrations. It created a seriously comprehensive night that highlighted the best of the new record.
The juxtaposition of the classic instruments, full-band sound and gritty raps are just right in front of your eyes—right there! Dan the Automator acted as a conductor for the orchestra, but it was probably more of an act than a anything practical. Decked out in a conductor’s tails, however, it totally added to the act. They did not, however, did not neglect the old favorites. In an encore, they played classic favorite “Mastermind” and, of course, “Clint Eastwood” (technically the Gorillaz song). Instead of just playing the part of the song that the group raps in, they played the whole thing which was obviously crowd-pleasing and an expert way to end the night.
In addition to a whole opening of his skilled mixing, Kid Koala took over for a few songs during the Deltron set which was a treat. He truly revealed the intricacies of mixing and the focus (and fun) that Kid Koala brings to his set is mesmerizing. He mentioned that his mom thought spinning was a high school phase, but as he’s approaching 39 she might not be correct — with his childish grin in place, the passion that he brings to his music was endearing and obvious.
(Editors Note: We realize that Deltron 3030 released an album 13 years ago and that they do not fit our usual definition for what constitutes a “new” band. However, since everybody involved was off doing other great work and since this reunion represents a creative step forward, I hereby declare the rule to be waived.)
