Show Review: Ekali

Taken by Vancitybuzz.com

On the 16th of December, I had the pleasure of seeing Ekali live, a futuristic bass and trap DJ. His openers included Opia, a R&B electronic band and Medasin, a future bass and trap producer. The concert was held at the El Rey Theatre and was produced by Brownies and Lemonade.

The music played at the show was mainly electronic trap, hip-hop, future bass, EDM, and bass house. Opia played slow spiritual songs that were very relaxing and appealing. On the other hand, Medasin played boisterous hard trap music the entire time. Ekali, the main act, played trap, future bass, and house with some EDM. His set reminded me a lot of a Porter Robinson type of EDM.

Speaking of the sound quality, Opia played along with live instruments including a midi keyboard and drum pads. The quality of Opia’s performance was exceptional, due to the various uses of instruments and the remarkable sound engineering of the El Rey’s speakers. Opia’s set sounded natural, due to the use of live acoustic instrumentation. However, Medasin’s set heavily weighted the bass in regards to the other levels of his sound. There was also decreased the quality a little since he wasn’t the main act. The high-tones did not sound very clear; when he played songs he made they didn’t sound at the same quality as when listening to them with my own earbuds. Ekali’s set sounded phenomenal, with notable sound quality and visual effects. Just as other venues do, the El Rey increased the quality of each performance to lead up to the main act, to add an unpredicted effect each time a set began.

In regards to the crowd, the majority was in the age range of 18-30. The crowd was assorted with all types, from those taking their time around the side of the mosh pit to the boisterous bunch, who were directly upfront and center.

For lighting, Opia had basic lighting set, Medasin had the same lighting set, and Ekali used panel screen in front for his set up. The visuals on the screen were random, but very psychedelic, with a theme of paint splatters and geometric shapes. There was an abundance of flickering, and the screen sometimes showed small video clips of abstract animations. There was a wide array of colors, and the lighting did an impeccable job of corresponding with the timing of the music. Overall, it was an amazing concert! 

LAURALEE, INTERN