Review: TyDi & Andy Moor at Exchange LA

Tyson Illingworth a.k.a. tyDi took the stage just past eleven to introduce Los Angeles to a loud, hard hitting progressive set of eclectic variety. A beacon of shimmering neon pierced the dark. Like sighs from a scythe in a wheat field of psychosis, the sound of tyDi built up to form an intricate display of superb technicality causing an immediate descent into a floor-filled set. Early on, he had no trouble getting the crowd dancing by dropping Gareth Emery’s Concrete Angel. From there, he dropped Rocker Monster, a definite monster of a track, by the Argentinean duo Heatbeat. The lights streamed down like vast stalactites constantly changing positions and colors to enhance the Australian’s performance.

Fabian Gray and Emanuele’s remix of Gotye’s Somebody I Used To Know (featuring Kimbra) provided a smooth transition at the hour break. As time lapsed, the mixes became more elaborate. The complexity of mix left the crowd guessing which tune the patriarch would drop next. When Acting Crazy (featuring Sarah Howells) came in, everything else seemed to freeze and collapse into an echoing silence. The quiet that was then interrupted by the vibrant, pound-pulsing drop that caused the people to jump and the floor to shake. He has eloquence in his music and is able to form excellent compositions in the studio. His power to move the crowd is both frightening and wonderful. It’s as if on stage he has the ability to stand there and completely lose the sense of self, to be absolutely free. It’s precisely why he’s in DJ Mag’s top 100. He has the ability to take the crowd on a journey through diverse sounds. From the point of heightened energy, he can Never Go Back (featuring Brianna Holan) but only push forward into a veteran of equal caliber.

tyDi had locked the crowd in. They were stuck. The ethereal steel door was locked and the windows were barred. Standing on tiptoe, Grammy-nominated Andy Moor (Andrew Beardmore) surveyed the crowd of hundreds. Within the beginning moments, the place was a mess, as if someone willingly gave everyone a substance that had the side effects of euphoria. With hands in the air, the crowd [Loved] The Fear (featuring Neev Kennedy) and were certainly infatuated with set. They relished at the open energetic lush sounds deriving from Norin & Rad’s Bloom. Hits began dropping, drinks were flying and Andy Moor kept the peak energy tyDi worked to build. Sing-a-long Be Your Sound had the front lines in a harmonious unison through the subtleties of the lyrics. The crowd became restless and couldn’t stop gripping toward the music medicine the harsh workweek had ordered. This was after all, a prelude to Beyond Wonderland. Restless indeed.

The serrated-edge tunes caused the night loom onward. The crowd had no ability to tolerate the infection of danced-crazed fusion – but they pushed onward. Andy kept packing the tunes tightly into the mix causing conjunction with his filters, loops and timely bass-drops. Sun and Moon churned loudly, Fight the Fire (featuring Sue Mclaren) caused an eruption and Super8 & Tab’s Awakenings caused the explosion. The dire-hard trance fans began groveling for Moor music as the set was closing out. There wasn’t much left to say. The crowd was sweaty, exhausted and blown away by the event provided by Insomniac events and hosted by Exchange LA. The association between the two companies is certainly putting on some stunning shows. This was one of them.

Article by Mark Luzzi