Last Friday, Mason hosted the first Mercury Soul show since the pandemic at the incredible Saint Joseph’s Society for the Arts. Performing under the name DJ Masonic, Mason featured alongside DJs Rob Garza (Thievery Corporation) and Justin Reed and classical performers, International Orange Chorale and the SFCM Baroque Ensemble and SFCM Percussion.
Bates says, “While the event features our characteristic mix of DJs and classical ensembles, the repertoire is the opposite of the more high-energy sound of our club shows. In between groovy downtempo DJ sets, we’re performing lush ambient music from across music history — from Erik Satie to Steve Reich, from Arvo Pärt to Brian Eno, plus some Renaissance string and choral music to fill the resonant space. It’s fascinating to hear Satie’s ‘furniture music’ next to Brian Eno, or Reich played alongside his favorite Perotin choral works.”
