There's a rebirth of old school drum 'n' bass and purist-friendly dubstep happening in a particularly unlikely place: West Palm Beach.
Friends Alex Gerhardt (DJ Depth), Kevin Kocak (DJ Bownce), Landon Yerby (Dcypher), Bradley Brown (Rok Is Dead), and Rene Aguiar (The Reazin) are the five-strong beatmakers behind the collective Archaeology. They've recently decided to band together with a mission of delivering underground electronic music to the people of South Florida.
They're also bringing vinyl back to the forefront of the genre, and Miami-born Gerhardt thinks that's worth getting excited about.
"This is something South Florida hasn't heard in a long time," he explains. "A lot of DJs that are performing now, they're not really creating anything new. When you're playing vinyl, there's no cheating."
For Kocak, originally from South Carolina, it's all about presenting a style of music for those who remember it in its inception while still leaving the door opening to welcome in a new generation hooked on the digital scene.
"We want to bring that love back for the people that knew us back in the day," he says, "but we also want to make it accessible to a younger crowd, and throw events that appeal to people who maybe don't get to see people spinning on vinyl anymore."
Archaeology is intent on offering a fresh take on the traditional to the South Florida music scene. Their first show is set for Wednesday, December 17, at Respectable Street and will feature guest artist and British drum 'n' bass producer AMIT, considered one of the leading pioneers of the subgenre, half-step. If all goes as planned, it will be the first of a monthly series featuring both local and guest DJs.
Aguiar states that Archaeology is rooted in the West Palm scene. He pioneered the underground there back in 2009 with the first dubstep night at Respectables with Proper Dosage, and helped to create a monthly party, Too Future, at the Original Fat Cat's in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
"This is how we were all introduced to the scene here, and we want to bring that back," Aguiar says. This time around, expect to hear some inventive sets for the inaugural show, Gerhardt explains, and plenty of genre mixing.
"There hasn't been a solid night in Palm Beach for this style of music in a long time, and it feels like the timing is right for us to bring it back," Yerby explains. "This generation coming up now has really only seen the commercial side of DJing. Here's a chance to see where it all started."
Archaeology and AMIT, 10 p.m., Wednesday, December 17, at Respectable Street, 518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. Visit Facebook.
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