Photo by Killahwave / Jamie Huenefeld

Santa Cruz, California’s Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) touched down on September 20 at the Brooklyn Mirage for their Apo11o tour, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. STS9 celebrated a theme of space exploration in their setlist and gave New York City a much anticipated dose of their celebrated livetronica. They were joined by some of their favorite musical friends: Orchard Lounge, Cut Chemist and Mark Farina.

Orchard Lounge kicked off the festivities with a delicious set of eclectic dance mixes, downtempo and “bass-dropping efunk.” Hailing from Chicago, the band members include Spencer Lokken, Bethany Lokken and Ben Silver. Their melodic interwoven beats had the crowd moving and grooving immediately.

Next up was Cut Chemist, also known as Lucas McFadden, a DJ from California who utilizes original 45 records along with his digital production. He specializes in hip-hop, funk and scratching, an art form that is dying in the current digital revolution. Drawing from artists like the Beastie Boys to Chali 2na, Cut Chemist delivered adventurous breakdance-worthy urban beats.

STS9 took the stage to a packed house and did not stop playing their space exploration-themed jams until the first set ended. The first set began with a new urban tune “Strange Games” that later turned into “When the Dust Settles Reprise,” a morphing of “When the Dust Settles” from the album of the same name. The jam sandwich continued with “Tooth” transitioning into “Golden Gate,” also from When the Dust Settles, as well as old school favorites “Golgi” > “Grow” > “Kamuy.” The band closed out the set with new song “Push The Sky” and then took a well deserved setbreak.

The second set continued to go where “no sectornaut has gone before,” as the band had landed on the Moon, metaphorically speaking of course. “Looking Back On Earth” opened the set, and transitioned into “Rabble” and “Open E,” transporting the crowd into the ethos. “Scheme” was up next, another tune from When the Dust Settles, followed by “Hubble”, the STS9 classic named after the famous satellite telescope. The crowd could not contain their excitement during this rarely played tune from Interplanetary Escape Vehicle. A transition from “Seed” into “Click Lang Echo” followed with more tasty intergalactic jams. The set wrapped up with “World Go Round” from The Universe Inside. STS9 finished the evening on a high note with the perennial favorite “Inspire Strikes Back”, named after the famous Star Wars sequel.

STS9’s Zach Velmer addresses the audience

DJ Mark Farina kept the festivities going with his signature blend of house, jazz and downtempo. Known for his “Mushroom Jazz,” Farina wove well-known and obscure tracks into a dance tapestry that delighted the late night crowd well into the early morning hours.

The Brooklyn Mirage was successfully launched into outer-space by post-rock dance musicians Sound Tribe Sector 9, supported by their savvy DJ friends. NYC Fans were delighted by the space exploration theme well into the night, and excitedly await their next trip into the cosmos with this talented band.