TONY FALINE
GROOVEROBBER
Thursday, January 17
Richard’s on Richards

This was my first time seeing Tony Faline; one of the heavyweights of the Florida/Nu breaks scene. I’d seen DJ Icey twice last year but missed Faline every time he’s hit town. I knew it was going to be cool seeing him at a club and not a party because of the smaller venue and smaller wife-beater count. This was one of those cases where everyone was there for the dj, which makes for a lot more dancin’ heads.

Grooverobber warmed it up until about 12:15 and then Faline come on. Seeing dudes like him (early 30’s maybe) help to reassure oneself that, yes, music is beyond fads and stages. On came the electro break ruckus, that he took from the abrasive tech sounds to the odd sappy E-hug chords and vocals. But, see, that’s the cool thing about nu-breaks; whatever sounds play over the beats, the edge is always there because of the rapid, thunderous hip hop influenced beats. Also, it maintains the balance of not having any scraps, and not having any glow sticks and E-hugs either. Players like Tony Faline are needed every once in a while to keep those well-balanced breaks alive in this town.

Boon Kondo