Entertainment
GREASING THE WHEELS OF DENVER’S DUBSTEP
Denver is an exciting place to be in 2016, not just because of the wonderful opportunities and advancements popping up in the world of cannabis, but because of the growth and expansion of the culture in general. The music scene in this city is also a vibrant and changing place, and home to many up-and-coming musicians like local DJ and producer Berrik, AKA Davis Weimer, and his collective of underground dubstep musicians, Grease. Between production, shows and parties, the group is joining the already-rich local tradition of heavy bass music.
Citing influences across the board and describing his music as ambient/soundtrack/breakbeat-influenced dubstep, Berrik is a fan of dubstep, but also appreciates the industrial stylings of Nine Inch Nails and the apocalyptic intricacies of trip-hop “In ninth grade I got into techstep guys like Counterstrike and Limewax,” he told CULTURE. “But my second-biggest influence is definitely trip-hop, The Sneaker Pimps, Massive Attack, Leftfield and more recently The Dining Rooms. I swear every track off Mezzanine makes me feel like I’m scavenging a post-apocalyptic desert in a makeshift dune buggy.”
“I’ve found that it takes the edge off the anxiety of making music.”
Berrik has been making music for about eight years now, and has recently seen success playing out locally with his peers. “We (the Grease Crew) just played our first two shows and they went exceptionally well,” he explained. “So it looks like we will be playing Second Friday of every month from here on out.”
When it comes to cannabis legalization, Berrik is happy with what Colorado has achieved so far. “So far so good,” he stated. “I don’t have a single complaint about the 21-and-up, recreational side of things. There are plenty of good shops and it’s still really crazy to have legal cannabis. That’s something we all might take for granted at times.”
Although Berrik has never directly worked cannabis into his music as a theme, he often turns to the plant for inspiration and considers it one of the driving forces behind his music.
“I’ve found that it takes the edge off the anxiety of making music,” he said. “I used to smoke a lot when I would make tracks, but now I only imbibe from time to time, when I’m mixing and polishing them up. It slows the rhythms down and helps me listen to everything. I can’t say that I have ever directly referenced it in my music, but its influence is there behind the mist of the soundscapes.”
You can catch Berrik and the Grease crew every second Friday of the month at the Black Box, and look out for other appearances around town.
