David Last's tracks often combine dancefloor energy with the deeper-leaning funk of dancehall, dub, latin music and hip hop. All this stuff is probably present in one way or another in his tracks, but it's still something new. A new foodgroup... too simple to call it dancefloor dub, or field funk, or maximal tech(no!)... it's purely his own style, instantly recognizable. He has become known internationally for his soundcraft and deeply funky rhythmic sense, which may be a result of having played drums with NYC bands.
The music employs a wide range of clipped and manipulated sounds, placed with the precision of a sharp shooter. Shades of tone and texture create an emotional reaction to the sound of the music, while a heavy emphasis on rhythmic ebb and flow does the dirty work of getting hips bumping. At parties he blows up the joynt wi
th a set consisting of his own unique style of dancefloor rockers, sometimes including a-capella vocals from reggae or hip hop. Given his syncopated rhythmic leanings, the combination sounds natural, never ironic. Crowds respond with screams and sweat. Note the same "f@ck-all let's rock it any old way that feels good" attitude that prevailed back in 70s and 80s NYC; when disco, hip hop, punk rock, and pop music could be found freely intermixing without shame. An offbeat sense of humor is also present, keeping it surprising and uplifting.
Work on a dancehall-influenced CD with genius ragga bad-man ZULU is set to blow up Europe in 2008. David has also been collaborating with Japanese tech-house producer Segeke on a project called Pocket Pet. Pocket Pet has already hit dancefloors hard with EPs on Goosehound (NYC) and Geometric Deck (Osaka).
David's tracks are currently released in a variety of contexts with labels like Staubgold (Berlin), Goosehound (NYC), and Unfoundsound (Philly). He has remixed for many others including indie psych-rock label The Social Registry (NYC) and Audio.NL (Rotterdam). His downtempo full-length CD "The Push Pull" is now in its second printing with The Agriculture label, having gained respect from critics and a sizable cult following. International projects further afield of dance music have included the performance of a commissioned soundtrack for a cavern in Japan, and a video/music installation in Amsterdam.
He can sometimes be found playing live with a 4-piece live instrumental dub group called "Solids," a way of bringing his sounds across with the energy of a rock show.
David lives in Brooklyn. Besides music releases, he makes soundtracks for film and creates visual artwork with odd abstract cartoon characters. His artwork has appeared on packaging for music and in animated tv-show intros for MTV-Japan. His handmade books have been shown by the Met and bought by MOMA. In his spare time he eats pesto.
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