LIVE: Loco Dice at Exchange, Los Angeles

Friday, October 30, 2015:
Tonight is a freak show in Downtown Los Angeles.  Any day within a week of Halloween might as well actually be Halloween in this city.  The nightlife stays incognito, able to wave there normally high freak flag that much higher under the guise of a super hero or, say, a sexy nun.  DTLA's premier venue for international DJs, Exchange, has understandably relaxed their upscale dress code as a result.  It's not like they really had an option.
Tonight is the return of one of the world's most celebrated House producers, Loco Dice, who is no stranger to La La Land but is always greeted with open arms and eager anticipation.  When the world's biggest names in House and Electro began to cash in on the U.S. EDM boom by making music for mainstream, the Dusseldorf, Germany native, Loco, did the crazy move of staying true to form.  It should be stated he still has managed to pull in top dollar at major festivals including Coachella and held his position as a draw in Ibiza and other major European cities.
Stepping in front of Exchange's monolith of an LED wall the set begins with a steady House beat and slowly builds into a Techno heavy groove.  Unapologetic, the set never wavered in fear that the crowd might not be educated enough for a true dose of something considered underground and foreign despite its roots in Detroit.  Women in devil horns and corsets in sync with Marvel heroes, movie characters and ironic Donald Trumps jumping and scream to songs they don't know.  In the traditional style of Jeff Mills and other greats he blends 3 songs at a time swapping out bass lines, overlaying new high hat loops and various leads morphing the familiar into something unknown.  Two-hours in and momentum of Techno shifts back to a House groove.  Three-hours in and its back to the heavy Techno drive as he brings it home, leaving the crowd content and drained since the typical cut off in LA is 2:00 am and it's well past that.  A great kick start to the Halloween weekend.
 
- Dominic Painter
photo credit: wearenightowls.com