Review: Anjunabeats Awakenings with Audien, Jaytech, Norin & Rad at Exchange LA

On a Friday evening in Los Angeles, all one has to do is hop in a car to see the massive amounts of party-goers that stream through the city lights. Uptown, west and east side, people dressed to the nines stand outside venues waiting to be let inside. It’s always a tough decision, knowing where the hotspot is, especially when there are hundreds of bars and an abundance of clubs. But it comes down to the atmosphere, the lineup and the stage presence of DJs that makes those outside lines so much bigger. On Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles last Friday night, Insomniac events held their second “Awakenings” event with an Anjunabeats Night with family members Audien, Jaytech and Norin & Rad.

Kicking off the second installment was Nate Rathbun, aka Audien. He’s young, talented and from Connecticut. Like many top producers today, he signed in his slew of tracks in high school. A native to Will Holland’s Enhanced Recordings, Audien is making his debut as an Anjuna member with his upcoming “Eventide / Unity” EP. A frequent collaborator with Norin & Rad, Audien isn’t a stranger to a hit or to attention. Familiar with some but not all of his music, the “Awakenings” audience was essentially led into the evening with some progressive trance. They didn’t know where they were going or where Audien was going to take them, because a progressive trance opening act, before a progressive house one, is usually reverse order. Audien played his tunes “The Reach,” “Keep This Memory,” and “These Are The Days.” The crowd was somewhat familiar. The brilliance of being a newcomer is that everything is in front of you. There is little expectation from the audience. That gives the artist the freedom to play an array of tunes and take the crowd anywhere. After his set, people would ask one another, who was that again? Those curious, looked to those with an Anjuna logo for answers.

Up to the decks, the headliner, James “Jimbo” Jaytech Cayzer, came happily bouncing along like a the kangaroo (he’s from Australia). Always smiling from ear to ear and ever a humble presence, this Anjunadeep darling and absolutely progressive house powerhouse, drove the audience into “Overdrive” the 2012 mix. With his new album, Multiverse, to be released in August, Jaytech had an arsenal of album IDs at his fingertips. As Jaytech merrily hit the eq, he looks out to the crowd, grins and then pumps his fist in preparation for the breakdown. A signature move, for a savvy guy, Jaytech is known for his stunningly organic dance moves and sweet progression sounds that put him in the position he is today. It’s hard to look at Jaytech and not smile. Because he’s either putting on a get-your-feet-moving track like his “New Vibe” or he’s wobbling side to side like an emperor penguin that is something more than hilarious. Jaytech played “Stranger” his first single for Multiverse in which the crowd reacted ecstatically to. The man of many talents is usually on the front end of the night, but Jaytech has proven that he can headline a show just as many mainstream progressive acts have done.

Norin & Rad, a duo that’s been at the center of attention for quite some time, finished the night. The duo, born Bruce Karlsson and Nick Sember, call the state of California home. For this event, the boys put peak-time energy to the test as they came out blazing with their remix of “Suddenly Summer.” Partially responsible for the sounds that fill the trance genre today, Norin & Rad are no stranger to a hit. With tracks like “The Gift” and “Bloom” they’ve made a name for themselves in just two years. Now they’re remixing for the biggest names including Anjunabeats’ own Above and Beyond. Exchange LA erupted with excitement as they dropped their 2012 remix of “Air for Life.” “Pistol Whip” kept the set moving. A series of house infused mashups and recent trance remixes, Norin & Rad made sure to give their home the show they deserve. As they build their catalog, Norin & Rad are filling clubs and now appearing at festivals to accompany Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy tents across the globe. Although fairly new to the scene, this duo is the follow-up endorsement Above & Beyond gave to Arty just a year prior. Knowing the talent a year before it gets there is part of the industry. Anjunabeats knows that and so does Insomniac events.

“Awakenings” night is about familiarity, fans of dance music and bringing a lineup that the city of Los Angeles deserves, not once a month, but every week. Exchange LA is the feature venue for these events because of the atmosphere that coincides with the artist talent. Knowing where to go in a city where millions are being entertained at once can be tough. But club life is all about the next best thing. “Awakenings” at Exchange LA is it.

Article By: Mark Luzzi