Calgary, Alberta, Canada is oftentimes better known globally for a "stampeding" July week of rodeo and cowboy-themed celebrations than vibe and funk-friendly bass music. However, if you haven't heard of Calgary's Smalltown DJs, you're clearly missing out on two DJ/producers who literally run the club on both a literal and performance standpoint. Thus, listening to their just-released set from BBC Radio 1's Diplo & Friends program on July 27 isn't your introduction to a great brand new thing, but to a thing that's been great and here all along, the same (or better) than it ever was.
Pete Emes and Mike Grimes have roots that extend back to modern-era open format legends like DJ AM, and have played festivals like Lollapalooza, events like the Winter Olympics and aside from the club they own (Calgary's Hi Fi Club) they've even played a club–Washington, DC's U Street Music Hall–whose current relevance for its sound design and venue layout owes much to the Smalltown DJs' own creative legacy. Funk-driven club bangers, turnt up anthems and vibe-heavy grooves dominate this set, that may prove moreso than anything else that as zeitgeist defining as headliners like Diplo become, they remember those upon which their legacy is built, and still celebrate the progression of those forefathers' careers as fellow top-tier DJ/producers.
