+CHAPEL+ was an audio/visual art installation by producer/DJ collective Heroes & Villains (HxV) and lifestyle and fashion brand FRESH.i.AM. In conjunction with their art and fashion showing last Saturday at Atlanta’s MJQ Concourse, HxV has also debuted a 5 song EP entitled “+CHAPEL+”.
I would best describe the venue as a place you might not know how to get to unless you’ve been there before. The entrance looked like a backyard tool shed that takes you far enough underground that you can forget about cell phone reception–it’s not happening. As I walked into dance floor area the room was dark, with only one neon sign aglow that read “CHAPEL” and the deep house music was in full swing; the perfect combination for a good time. Treasure Fingers threw down an amazing set. I personally loved how he worked in Atapy’s “Knight Rider (Let’s Ride remix)“. A great tune. Check it out. When it was time to give up the reigns and allow HxV to come on, he set up a masterful transition from his deep house set to the dark, badass, progressive psy-trance Daniel Disaster lead with. An impressive bridge made between two very different genres; the work of a true artist.
To say that the HxV performance blew me away would be an understatement. Closer to the truth would be that I haven’t had that much fun at a show in a LONG time. I really enjoyed the new style they are experimenting with–pounding, driving, dark-yet-somehow-deep and thought-provoking–but what I really came for was their unparalleled ability to run the trap. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi in the air when HxV plays to its hometown crowd and loyal fans in Atlanta, the birthplace of trap music. The energy is through the roof, everyone knows the words to every song and you can tell that this music is the lifeblood of this town. Fancy yourself a trap music fan? Come see Heroes x Villains in a dark basement club in Atlanta and watch that take your love for this genre to new heights.
I also genuinely enjoy their artistic idea of fashion. Many fans in the crowd were wearing +CHAPEL+ gear and it pulled the whole vision for the night together perfectly. The hats, t-shirts and bandanas came together beautifully with the vibe HxV created with the music. FRESH.i.AM has created a bold, interesting line of clothing that meshes well with the trap scene. I’m going to post pictures of some of my favorite things below but, be sure to check out FRESH.i.AM‘s LookBook for more cool clothing and new, artistic ways to wear them here: http://collection.freshiam.net/CHAPEL
