RE: Creation showcase at Cervantes

 The full sensory experience is what makes live music more dynamic than just slapping on a pair of headphones at home. And the RE: Creation Showcase at Cervantes provided just that. The line-up included dubstep artists Project Aspect, Unlimited Gravity, Distal, and Sleepyhead.

Aspect was the first of the artists to really draw the crowd in. Usually it's easy to nod off during a DJ's set because of the inherent lack of crowd engagement, but Aspect's high energy infected the crowd. Every time he jumped up and down with a beat drop, the audience followed suit.

Spinning original music, Project Aspect was able to make the performance more than just a listening experience. His whimsical, freeform dancing and gestures helped to personify the music and make show all the more lively.

After Aspect's nonstop, upbeat set, Denver local Unlimited Gravity took the pace down a few notches. He opened with a spine-rattling, droning, bass-heavy track to call the crowd's attention.

However, about two minutes into his set, he picked the energy right back up. In comparison to Aspect's set, the music was more rigid and organically instrumental, but just as enjoyable.

Gravity definitely knows how to stimulate a crowd with familiar samples such as Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner."

To my surprise and excitement, nearing the end of Unlimited Gravity's set, Project Aspect came back to the stage and the two collaborated for a final set.

The clash of the two styles was a structured riot of amplified, inorganic, and abstract sounds. It was impossible not to bob your head and bounce around to their set. Even the sound engineer at Cervantes, who I'm sure hears rehashed and recycled dubstep music every weekend, conservatively danced in the booth.

Unlimited Aspect gave the people a musically diverse show. Even during the break between artists, my eardrums rattled from the bass. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the show.

Georgia native Distal took the stage next and completely killed the fast-paced, enthusiastic vibe of the show. He said, "Don't get fuckin' scared, Denver," referencing that his music is what he called "futuristic" dubstep. We should have been scared of the epic buzzkill.

His track list wasn't boring; it just didn't fit the show's atmosphere. He spun more electro house tracks similar to something you can let play mindlessly at a house party because you don't have a DJ.

The opening to his set seemed to have a nice, drum-heavy Latin influence to shake your hips to. However, once that gritty, bassy rut set in, the show came to a pretty dull standstill.

To some degree of redemption, Sleepyhead finally booted Distal off the stage and picked the crowd's spirits back up and carried the tired, sweaty, contact-high-ridden Cervantes crowd to a 2:30 a.m. close.