Saturday, October 08, 2016

8 tracks that annihilated The Hoxton for Rezz's EP release party

Taken from Rezz's twitter via Will Selviz
Last night The Hoxton played host to Rezz's Something Wrong Here EP release party. Arriving shortly before 11, I was immediately astounded by the number of people already there. The place was packed the whole night, with a fervor rarely felt, save for the biggest acts, and it's quickly becoming clear that Rezz is one of those. I can honestly say I've never seen a crowd more ravenous for any artist ever, the anticipation throughout the night was incredibly palpable, and rose to near dangerous levels as the crowd was egged on by openers, Melissa Calavera and Cosella.

Both did a great job grabbing the crowds energy, guiding them to the dancefloor, and riling them up for Rezz. While opening the club up can be a thankless task, Melissa Calavera did a marvelous job, maintaining a deep groove, slowly amping up the energy; to great success I might add, as from front to back there was no shortage of people dancing. Cosella continued this trend, with veteran poise and professional mixing despite the now raucous crowd. He was the victim of a stage charger, who twice jumped up, ambushing him in an attempted a selfie. The rest of the crowd was acutely aware of this trespasser and when she tried to escape from security for the second time, she fell over, causing the crowd to cheer.

While the largest cheer of the night was reserved for Rezz (and rightfully so, as it was her night), Cosella captured the attention of many with his unreleased and bootleg tracks, accrued from his undeniable networking acumen. His unique blend of booty, ghetto and tech house had the whole club reeling with tracks like his remix of Destructo's latest "Catching Plays" and bouncy bass numbers from Yolanda Be Cool, Walker & Royce, and Noise Frenzy. As I tweeted last night, I'm always fascinated to see how DJs handle the switch over between sets, and while continuity is perhaps ideal there's plenty of ways to play it. The hand off between Melissa and Cosella was well done, not losing anything, later Cosella chose another route, leaving the stage early, killing the audio, creating a vacuum of anticipation.

The manic masses roared "Rezz! Rezz! Rezz!" even cheering when her drinks were put on the decks. It was almost as though people were expecting the Beatles to come out, there was absolute hysteria. People were on the verge of tears as dozens grabbed for their phones in hopes of recording something historic. That's when things really got lit. Rezz's trademark 'hypno-goggles' turned on alongside her mesmerizing visuals on the three screens surrounding her. The contrasting bright lights and incredibly dense, dark bass drops had people in absolute awe. Early into the set, her track "Edge" came on and the crowd sang along despite the lack of vocals.

Part of what makes Rezz so alluring is her unwavering ability to command the expectations of the crowd while deliver her daunting darkness. She's done a great job curating her sound and style, leading her fans into the dark abyss, while maintaining a bright, bubbly exterior. She truly is a force to be reckoned with. Her sets have become legend, playing almost exclusively her own content; something that you need to see/feel to believe.

I've complied a small sampling of the most commanding tracks from last night, below. Enjoy and be sure to keep an eye on all of last night's performers as they're all going places. FOLLOW REZZ: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW COSELLA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW MELISSA CALAVERA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER