Los Angeles native TOKiMONSTA performed at the second installment of Red Bull Music Academy’s ongoing series, “This City Belongs to Me,” which took place in the historic Ace Hotel Theater’s lobby. She brought a few friends to join her for three songs before launching into a spastic DJ set with her signature take on hip-hop beats and chill lunar landscapes. Throughout the evening, TOKiMONSTA was able to keep the packed lobby moving against a backdrop of rococo architecture and zapping beams of multicolored light.
The previously undisclosed location was only revealed to those who RSVP’d via the Red Bull website. There was no shortage of eager fans. Doors were to open at 10 pm, at which time the “RSVP” line and the “VIP” line extended to opposite ends of the block on South Broadway. It came as a pleasant surprise that it was the RSVP line that moved fans inside the quickest.
The Ace Hotel lobby, with vaulting reminiscent of a European cathedral, provided an extravagant architectural contrast to the fog and futuristic light show, which gave the evening a vaguely steampunk vibe. Stairwells on either side of the lobby lead up to two floors with balconies looking down onto the lobby. By the time TOKiMONSTA’s DJ set was in full force, the entire dance floor and the balconies above were full of bodies writhing in rhythm.
A tense silence loomed when she first took her post at the Tomorrowland-inspired DJ station. Haunting strings ushered in artist Jesse Boykins III, who sang “Moon Rise” from her 2013 full length, Half Shadows. Boykins was followed by Anderson Paak who gave a raw performance of “Realla” from TOKiMONSTA’s mini-album Desiderium, released this month. The third and final collaboration, easily the highlight of the three, was with the MNDR frontwoman Amanda Warner, who belted out the catchy chorus of “Go With It” from Half Shadows, climbing atop the station at one point to hold court over the crowd with glad authority, her voice soaring and cutting through the cavernous acoustics.
And then TOKiMONSTA said, “Let’s do this.”
A suite of synth tones warmed the room before a syncopated kick rhythm took hold. For the next hour the packed lobby went on a spastic ride. She displayed her distinguished mixing prowess, restlessly flipping, punching and twisting gadgets and interfaces with an attention-deficient flourish that could challenge anyone who finds EDM boring. Brief atmospheric segues would break into hip-hop and funk grooves, favoring stumbling syncopation over simple-minded thuds. Every time it felt like her set was winding down, the energy reemerged. At one point she picked up the mic to say “It’s not over yet,” after a well-earned volley of applause suggested otherwise. It was an apt reminder that her DJ set was one unified piece combining meticulous improvisation over an infectious variety of samples.
After a feverish, metallic climax, she bowed away, unceremonious, wrapping her head in a towel. Though it was quite beautiful, the Ace Hotel Theatre lobby probably did not provide the best acoustics for the full spectrum of textures that drive TOKiMONSTA’s music. Details sometimes got dredged in the mud. However, the visual buffet of the venue and the lighting tech did more than offset any audio shortcomings, not to mention the energy of a satisfied crowd.
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