The Funk Soul Brother

by Michael Austin

As one of only five stops in the United States, techno-music DJ Fatboy Slim stopped off at the Motor Lounge in Hamtramck to promote his new album, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby. Slim got the crowd moving right from the start, with “Everybody Needs a 303” from his first album Better Living Through Chemistry. The big-beat style continued as Slim showed why he is one of the hottest DJs in the world. The crowd was treated to a number of songs off the new release, such as his next single “Gangsta Trippin,” all of which included samples ranging from Public Enemy to Young MC.

Then, halfway into the show, something happened. The pre-recorded records Slim would mix and blend spontaneously started running longer, and the samples became increasingly scattered. Eventually the show degenerated into generic bass-driven beats. In addition to being monotonous, it was the exact opposite of Fatboy Slims innovative style. Not that the club-goers minded, since about half were concentrating on dancing and still holding onto their drinks and light sticks at the same time.

Slim got back to his signature mixing technique to give a solid finish to close the show, mixing radio hit “The Rockerfella Skank” with The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.” A phenomenal remix of the Beastie Boys’ “Body Movin’” kept the momentum going, and a new version of “Cross Town Traffic” by Jimi Hendrix, and the Who inspired “Going Out of My Head” rounded out the two hour set. The powerful start and strong finish clearly offset the inconsistencies in the middle of the show.

Overall, Fatboy Slim’s innovative style is best in its undiluted form. The concert format allows him to blend one song into another, forming more of a continuous mix than a collection of songs. When Slim uses this freedom to its full potential, he surely does not disappoint. MR

This article was published in the 28 October 1998 edition of The Michigan Review (Volume 17, Number 3).
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