Jake Williams, known as Rex The Dog, is a British electronic music producer, remixer and DJ. When I first heard he was playing in San Francisco, I knew it was a very rare show and I just had to go as this would be only one of two shows he has ever played in America being this is his first tour of the States.
I first found him on YouTube in 2010 when looking for music by Fever Ray. His remix of the Fever Ray – Triangle Walks song instantly got me hooked and had to get more. What further pulled me in was the fact that he is heavy into building and using synthesizers; making music from the ground up. He works on a modular synth; a machine that he hand-built and carries with him to all his shows.
Rex The Dog has been in the electronic music business since the early ’90s finding success in genres such as trance, techno, electro, and house. Throughout his career, he has also produced mixes for artists such as Depeche Mode, The Prodigy, Röyksopp, and Soulwax.
One of the biggest reasons I find his music recognizably familiar and fascinating is due to the fact of his influences such as Depeche Mode (my top favorites). Giving his music a synth-heavy playful electro-house feel reminiscent to something out of the ’80s yet still feeling as fresh as ever. With 80’s electronic music making a bit of nostalgic come back and being rediscovered by a newer generation of people to influence it further, Rex The Dog brings many people an opportunity to experience the joy of creating music on synthesizers and using today’s digital technology to enhance the analog music.
The Stats
The stats show that Rex The Dog is holding solid ground and can go only up from there as he continues to gain exposure in untapped markets. Rex The Dog currently has 44.6k monthly listeners and 13k followers on Spotify with the majority of his listeners located in Europe and Mexico being the only western country on spot number 3 out of 5 top countries where people listen. On Last.fm he has gained 1.4 million scrobbles with 158k listeners and has remained steady in relevancy. On Souncloud he holds 13.7k followers with the majority of his offerings on the site. On Pandora he has gathered 2.4k listeners and now that he is finally on the platform it might offer people a chance to discover him and gain him more exposure.
Venue: Phonobar
The venue was San Francisco’s hidden gem, Phonobar. They offer solid upscale cocktails and when not busy the service is amazing. Phonobar is doing something right as many reviews online always comment on the great music and atmosphere that they provide. The fact that the intimate dance venue is located in a separate location from the bar and restrooms is a huge deal and offers a less interrupted experience. The event was promoted by Resident Advisor and tickets cost $20 either online or at the door. Doors opened at 8 p.m.
People trickled in and it started with the volume of chatter rising as people ordered drinks and socialized. It is always great to hear the stories of how someone first discovered the artist and for how long they have been following them. For many attendees, they have recently found out about Rex The Dog, but for longtime fans such as myself we knew how special this opportunity to see him live was as we have been waiting for years. Venues like the Phonobar also carry the responsibility by offering an opportunity by booking acts that allow people to discover new artists and for many, this could have been their first experience.
The Show
The warm-up session provided by San Francisco’s own music and arts collective Brouhaha SF that has been around since 2013. DJs Rouse and CamDaze started the show off at 9:30 p.m. spinning electronic music that was both enjoyable, danceable but at the same time smooth enough to provide club goers an opportunity to socialize and form important musical connections with others. The duo handed the turntables to each other on and off and selected tracks from their vinyl bag of tricks. I got to meet a fan who has seen Rex The Dog play in Europe a few times and as a San Francisco resident, he would not miss the show.
Many people have heard Jake’s music but have never seen him making it an even more excitingly mysterious show. Rex The Dog took the stage at 11:30 p.m. making his entrance to engage with his synth and jump in on the mix. Two hardcore enthusiasts came with their album covers and Jake took the time to draw his Rex The Dog cartoon on the albums. That definitely made their day and I was happy to see the amount of joy pouring from their smiles. After some fiddling with the musical contraption of his synth, he started his set and people were attentive. He wanted to dim the lights as he plays in the dark to see the lights on his machine. Oh yeah, no flash photography! The venue was getting packed and the temperature started to rise as the beats rolled in. 50 tickets were sold online and the rest have been sold at the door. I estimate that there was about 80ish if not more people packing the close quarters dance floor with just enough room to bob and dance but not to shuffle.
Jake was having fun doing his thing and people danced. Moving back and forth between his computer, turntable and modular synth was incredible to look at as he was switching wires in and out with a flashlight in hand and timing everything to produce live music. He played and mixed some tunes to warm up and then played fan favorites such as Teufelsberg, You Are A Blade and Sicko. The bass was thumping hard balanced by the melodic synth and the crowd was having a great time. Jake was working with incredible speed and fluidity but masterfully making it look deceptively easy. As the drinks kept coming and people dancing the packed floor, it was getting club hot. Condensation was building up and dripping from glass ceiling panes. One of the DJs, Chvck. grabbed a chair to wipe the ceiling because as Jake put it “it was fucken dripping on my synth.” Both artists were in the flow and working to make people dance and happy. The heat was getting to them as they rolled up their sleeves as far as they could and staying hydrated with whatever they had on hand. Jake played at least a solid two hours before he handed it off to Chvck. to finish off the night with some deep bass spins.
The condensation “it was fucken dripping on my synth.” Jake, Rex The Dog shouted.
I caught Jake in the hallway and like many of the longtime fans, thanked him for an amazing show and the opportunity for coming to San Francisco. I asked what to so long to come to the America and he mentioned that a lot of it was costs as flights obviously weren’t cheap and like any Visa situation it’s usually a headache. He confirmed that he now has a U.S. manager as well which explains his first ever two shows in America, playing Austin the day before. When asked about any future shows he stated that he might try to return in the summer but no promises were made. He was surprised to see that he had longtime fans out in San Francisco and it only makes sense as we just have been waiting this whole time while he continues to gather popularity.
The Verdict: More Than Worth It
For $20 you got way more than what you paid in value. The Phonobar is living up to its reputation, the crowd had a great time and the ultra-rare show was stellar. I’m not saying it because I am a fan, I am saying it just based on how the night turned out and how people felt. For the price and experience, it was well worth it and as Rex The Dog continues to gain traction in America I hope to see his success take him to more music opportunities (can you imagine How Weird Street Faire) and hope to see him back again in San Francisco.
