BASEMENT: Ryan James Ford / Bapari / Word of Command / DJ Clone
STUDIO: MCR-T / Sister Zo / Matas

For its first edition of 2023, FIST invites Ryan James Ford over from Berlin. The Canadian native has a long, winding history with electronic music: initiated via Calgary’s late ‘90s rave scene, he absorbed a wide range of sounds, from hardcore to IDM. It shows in his productions and DJ mixes, which cannily stitch together moments of slamming intensity with lush breaks, sorrowful longing and skittery percussion. If that sounds like a grab bag, it’s anything but. Ford makes the diversity work, setting a heavy, heady mood and letting it unfurl with intuitive coherence. His productions, meanwhile, are vetted by some of the most esteemed names around. Clone Records, Marcel Dettmann’s MDR, Answer Code Request’s ACR and many others have released his music. He’ll fit in well at FIST, a queer party notorious for unexpected moments and highwire balancing acts. Haitian-American producer Bapari keeps the energy wild: their tracks flicker and slice with a finely-honed metallic sheen. Their recent “Stamina” EP on NAAFI is a thrilling rave manifesto, with carefully-sculpted sound design working in service of devastating impact and moments of tense emotional pull. A true multidisciplinary artist, Bapari’s work moves between the concert hall, fashion runway and rave dungeon. FIST residents Word of Command and DJ Clone take over for the rest of the night. If anyone’s sets embody the ethos of the party, it’s theirs: daring, pummeling, high velocity scorchers, with fun and transgression twisted together in an inseparable braid.

Live From Earth affiliate MCR-T lands at STUDIO. Last year’s LP “My Voice My Weapon Of Choice” was a standout album that fused the wild, unhinged energy of the project with MCR-T’s searingly personal lyrics. Sister Zo’s expert-level bass mutations strike a perfect chord between spacious, cerebral 4x4 and the fiery, syncopated rhythms of the UK’s post-dubstep lineages. It’s no surprise then that she’s found a home on Martyn’s 3024 with her EP “Freak Shift.” But it’s not just her productions: her DJ sets similarly spin headier tracks into dancefloor gold. On a recent Ilian Tape podcast, Zo’s mastery of form and function is apparent in her aqueous flow and captivating energy. NY’s Matas is a newer voice with a nasty edge. His sound pairs well with Zo’s, bridging the divide between undulating club sounds and thicker low end immersions, always gleaming with lysergic menace.

■ No photos or videos
■ No phone use on the dancefloor
■ The dance floor is for dancing, not conversation
■ No glowing/flashing clothes or items
■ Respect other people's space, no shuffling
■ Consent is mandatory
■ Zero tolerance for racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism or any form of discrimination
■ Take care of each other, alert our staff if somebody isn't feeling well
■ Violating the house rules will result in removal
■ Ticket purchase does not guarantee entrance