January ended spectacularly last night with a concert from rapper Milo and DJs FOANS and *hitmayng in the Sett in Union South. *hitmayng, it should be noted, is the moniker of Ian Carroll, a recent UW-Madison graduate whose most recent album is a collaboration with rapper CRASHprez.
FOANS opened the show with a dual music/visual set. Bobbing and oscillating to the music—a dense arrangement of sound bites and samples, all tumbling over each other—FOANS set his music to a distorted video of skateboarders plying their trade behind a veil of iridescent fuzz. There was a ghostly quality to the whole proceeding, made no less mysterious than the fact that, bobbing behind his MacBook, FOANS kept his black hoodie up and a bandana tied around his face. What did it all mean? I’m not sure, but his demeanor—and the video—were a perfect foil for the music.
The crowd during the set, a little sparse at the beginning, was very in tune with FOANS’ set. Many were close to the front dancing, including *hitmayng, who went up next. On the whole, it was a good crowd, building steadily and steadily with each successive minute, through each set.
When *hitmayng took the stage, FOANS also returned; that night marked the debut of Night Channel, a collaboration between the two DJs, something both were excited for, if their set was any indication. Similar in tone to FOANS’ solo set, Night Channel’s was obviously collaboration. Bobbing and oscillating, together, in rhythm, their dual MacBooks spun out more driving, relentless sample based music. Almost like a church choir, wrenched through a glitched out computer and set to an unremitting backbeat.
The visuals made a comeback in Night Channel’s set as well, but gone was the iridescent fuzz clouding FOANS’ parade of amateur skateboarders. Instead, their video backing was a suite of abstract images and color hues—resembling, at times, some of the more wigged out visuals from “2001: A Space Odyssey”—as well as clips from music videos and pop culture.
A highlight from the video was when Night Channel played a clip from “Degrassi” where Jimmy Brooks (Drake) gets shot by Rick Murray, first in normal order and later in reverse. Again, the visuals (and the bobbing/oscillating of the DJs) were a perfect foil for the music.
Although there was no name offered (so far as I heard) for Night Channel’s song/suite—maybe “Night Channel’s Auspicious Debut #1?”—their set in the Sett was a rewarding experience, and this reporter hopes Night Channel will be doing more sets in the future.
Afterward, it was time for Milo’s set. Tall, hairy and decked out in a sweet yellow shirt, the rapper was unrelenting the whole time onstage, rattling through verses with fervor faster and hotter than the Saharan sirocco.
There’s no way to really get at the intensity he brought, except to mention that, at one point in the show, he spat up some of the water he’d been chugging. And, with a chin spilling over viscously, Milo kept going.
The show was a delight. The words were unstoppable. Song highlights included opener “Concerning the Dream Tigers I Have Seen (for Borges),” “Sweet Chin Music (The Fisher King’s Anthem),” “Pro Joe’s Clock Repair Shop” and “Almost Cut My Hair (for Crosby).” As far as lyrical highlights go, nearly every verse glimmered with an outstanding/memorable line, so you’ll forgive me for not going into more detail—except to say the treasure trove were found in the aforementioned songs.
Milo also debuted a few new songs, including one with a prominent (and popular) Mister Rodgers shout out.
In terms of stage demeanor, Milo killed it as well, between the dancing he did between verses—his moves supple, grooving, with lots of arm and hips involved—and regularly stopped between songs to chat with the audience and take requests. In fact, there wasn’t any break between song and banter; each segued smoothly between each other, almost like a dream.
He brought lots of humor to the proceedings, such as at one point when he messed up on one his new songs and had to start over: “Sorry I fucked up. Now you got to suffer through it one more time.”
The audience fell under Milo’s sway too, gathering close to the stage, huddling around almost in a semicircle—some dancing, some passing beers around, most talking, most standing transfixed. There’s a danger to that kind of devotion—idolatry and all that maddening biz—but this reporter felt the audience weren’t trying to build up some kind of apotheosis.
Or at least not a false apotheosis. Milo’s performance was enrapturing, studious, intense and entertaining. He earned the care and attention that audience lavished upon him. And while they (and he and we as well) were glad for him to be there, there was a breathless irony to Milo’s act that commingled with the intensity and the excitement. He wasn’t there to be worshipped, he was there to rap.
Indeed, toward the end when, before wrapping up for the night, the irony surfaced when he asked the crow point blank, “is our contract fulfilled? Did I do enough?” The only answer is yes. The same goes for FOANS and Night Channel.
