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As the son of Ian Dury, Baxter Dury was surrounded by the hedonism of his father's difficult life yet also the musical magic that made Ian Dury such an incredible artist. Baxter was born shortly after his parents had left art college, being present for his father's various musical ventures, from Kilburn & the High Roads to Ian Dury & The Blockheads. As a child, Baxter struggled at school, being kicked out of several institutions before eventually leaving at 15, finding escape in the world of soul, jazz and funk.
Music was not an immediate pursuit for Baxter, before working in a watch shop and assisting with a number of indie films. It was not until nearing 30 that Baxter began to forge a music career, not long after his father's death in March 2000. Baxter travelled to Austin, Texas, US to begin recording songs, with the outcome being 2001's "Oscar Brown" EP.
Baxter returned with his album debut in 2003, releasing the visceral, folky, "Len Parrot's Memorial Lift," continuing this sound with his second, "Floor Show" in 2005. Bringing forth psychedelic influences into the mix, 2011's "Happy Soup" found Baxter greater success, finding critical praise with a sound reminiscent of Blur's Graham Coxon. His fourth record, "It's a Pleasure" arrived in October 2014, shortly after playing to a sell out show at London, UK's 100 Club.
I saw Cassius live at Showcase in Paris, France. The venue was packed with eager crowds waiting for the show to get under way. When the lights dimmed and Cassius (members Philippe Zdar and Boom Bass) took to stage and began playing their smooth electronica and house sound a new energy came to the venue. In such a cool French venue with the light production Cassius created a truly chilled dance atmosphere. Songs such as ‘The Sound of Violence’, ‘I Love U So’ and ‘Les Enfants’ in particular brought the crowd to life. The racing beats and electronic melodies of ‘I Love U So’ partnered with the over- layered vocals filled the room with reverberating music. While the slightly eighties dance beats and synth melodies of ‘Les Enfants’ created swirling, trippy layers of sound. The crowd couldn’t stop dancing and Cassius were kind enough to play extended mixes – they were clearly enjoying themselves on the turntables. Amidst the light and smoke there was a brilliant party atmosphere. I will definitely try to catch Cassius live again because they brought such a funky, dance vibe to the evening. My highlights were probably ‘Toop Toop’ and ‘Feeling For You’- two brilliant house tracks.