JUSTICE

Not for hipsters alone
- Alyse Cox

I am not a hipster. I am an average, twenty-something college student with occasional fits of ‘cool’ moments. I do not have a degree in music theory. All I know is what makes me want to let loose and get down – and right now what makes me boogie is the Parisian electro house duo JUSTICE.

Most people don’t understand the subtleties of electronic music. When I tell my sorority sisters that I am going to see a DJ, I get the same scoffs. A response along the lines of, “Ha. like a rave?” “Are you going to take X and wave glow sticks all night?” . . . Uhh, no. Not exactly.

To the uninformed, casual listener, this assumption is very common. According to anyone unfamiliar with electronic music there is only ONE genre: TECHNO. Similarly, someone who has no clue about classic rock wouldn’t know the differ- ence between Led Zeppelin and The Who. For someone new to Hip-Hop, listening to Kanye West might sound exactly like Lil Wayne. Two very distinct sounds are easily confused when unexplored.

“JUSTICE performs their music using turntables and an assortment of other highly technical and extraordinarily computerized methods.”

Which brings us to JUSTICE. While they are definitively electronic and perform their music using turntables and an assortment of other highly technical and extraordinarily computerized methods, their musical appeal crosses all genres. Fans of Metal, Hip Hop, Jam and Country could all rock out and enjoy a JUSTICE concert.

Justice made their break with the 2003 debut of a remix of Simian’s “Never Be Alone.” I have been listening to JUSTICE for a few months, and I had never heard this famous remix un- til I was at the JUSTICE show in Dallas in early March. Besides their most popular and catchy single, “D.A.N.C.E.”, “Never Be Alone” was the hit of the night. The zealous crowds of danc- ing fans were belting out the lyrics as the duo would lower the music so it was an audience A Cappella version of the song. It was what I would imagine it would feel like to be at the hottest show of the year in the 80’s. I have a very enthusiastic affinity for the 80’s and the overindulgent lifestyle everyone lived.

The moment I was dancing to “ Never be Alone, ” listening to the crowd hit every note of the chorus, being absorbed by the overpowering rush of the pulsing white lights and feeling the shock waves of the wall of speakers behind JUSTICE, I knew it was the closest I will ever get to fulfilling my fantasy of living the uninhibited extravagance of the hay days of the 80’s.

The Hipsters of a JUSTICE concert

Do you remember when Kayne West first displayed his blazing short temper and outrageous arrogance at the 2006 MTV Europe Music awards?

He stormed the stage after not receiving the award for “Best Video.” Turns out, JUSTICE took home the coveted award that night. (They were not actually, physically there. Thank god.) Kanyeeee . . . . What are we going to do with you?

After JUSTICE melted our faces, the crowd started trickling into the after-party which continued just upstairs from where JUSTICE had been playing.

The progressiveness of JUSTICE attracted an equally progressive crowd to the Palladium Ballroom that night in Dallas. The venue was crawling with the true cool kids – fashion forward funky clothes and personal grooming styles you would see at loft parties and the dive bars in Soho. Consequently, I paid close attention to the social dynamic of this unique cultural subset as another way of showcasing all of the unique aspects of my experience with JUSTICE.

The after-party featured some of Dallas’ top DJ’s, one of which played vinyl records exclusively. This must be a huge “cool factor” in the electronic scene, because this was the hubbub going around the Dallas hipsters. Sure enough, he was playing fun music that made me want to dance, buuut . . . I distinctly remember still feeling the afterglow of the pulsing lights and overpowering groove of JUSTICE from earlier in the night.

As the party goers caught their second wind with the help of a few cocktails and other party favors, the dance floor started to get populated and pretty soon, I found myself on the outskirts of a circle witnessing what I assumed was an unofficial “dance battle.” I had seen these before, at high school dances where the participants were only attention-starved adolescents. This battle was different; these guys were actually in a dance crew, with an actual name, most notably The Funky Buttercups crew from Norman.

As I was standing there enjoying watching my own live version of You Got Served, I realized the battle, although casual, was serious. I watched a few guys who reminded me of those high school boys so eager for attention jump in and get schooled by the pros. Shortly after this, I saw my older brother hand over his camera and equipment to a girl and prepare to jump in. Immediately I cut through the dance floor and insist that he stay OUT of the circle. This was the first time I ever had to stop my brother from embarrassing himself and me, a favor he has done for me more times than I can count. It was fascinating to be in the middle of the hipsters of the electronic music scene – just a small benefit of the unique and fun people that JUSTICE attracts.

As I walked into my room happily exhausted from a long exciting night of dancing, I was greeted by my roommate who indulged me with her feigned interest in electronic music. “How was it?” she asked. As I was getting my enthusiasm up to tell her all the exciting moments and how mind-blowing the show was, she stopped me — “How was Genesis?” (Genesis is the opening track on their first album). I replied with confusion, “Uhhmm…. Yeah it was good. They played it…..why?” She proceeded to pull up a You Tube video. “It’s on the new Chevy commercial….”

Right then and there, she turned my excitement into discouragement. Although the commercial is actually a Cadillac commercial (they are all the same anyway), it made me realize that everything progressive, unique and ‘edgy’ loses its luster when the mass media gets word. It won’t be long until we are hearing JUSTICE tracks on several mainstream commercials. Let’s just hope that as JUSTICE reaches higher levels of commercial success they are still able to retain their underground hipster ‘edge’ along with their following of professional break dancing crews and chilling ‘nuke in your face’ live performances.