Electronic music took on a new dimension Sunday night, when the power of the producer was showcased. Hudson Mohawke played a show at Paradise Rock Club with The-Dream as his opening act.
Though Mohawke is an electronic artist and The-Dream is an R&B singer, the two proved that dipping into different genres could be surprisingly cohesive.
Mohawke, born Ross Birchard, is a 29-year-old producer and DJ from Glasgow. As a large part of a small music scene in the United Kingdom, he is one of a few artists to be thrown into the mainstream from underground roots.
Mohawke’s music envelops a flawless juxtaposition of electronic and hip-hop. His background consists of turntable works and DJing, which evolved into producing hip-hop tracks for Drake, Pusha T and Lil Wayne. Kanye West’s label GOOD Music acquired Mohawke as a producer, though he is still a recording artist for Warp and LuckyMe.
The-Dream put on a smooth show that illustrated some of Mohawke’s best influences. The-Dream stepped onto the stage and turned his back to the audience with arms open in a Christ-like pose.
It became apparent that much of the crowd had come just to see him, rather than the headliner as they erupted into hysterics at The-Dream’s presence.
He went straight into his big hits, playing “Shawty Is a 10” and “Walkin’ On the Moon (feat. Kanye West).” The self-proclaimed “Radio Killa” had the crowd wrapped around his finger as he showed off his moves and serenaded a girl who was particularly enthusiastic in singing along to his lyrics.
In the midst of all this lighthearted frivolity, however, The-Dream paused his performance to invoke a moment of silence for the Paris attacks that had occurred two days prior.
He spoke of how a friend had warned him that performing at a concert right now could be dangerous after the attack. The-Dream’s message was that we shouldn’t give in to terror and that it wouldn’t stop him from performing.
After the opening act, Mohawke took the stage to flashing lights, signaling the main event. There were three musicians on stage — Mohawke on the turntables, a drummer and another member on the keyboard and drum pad. The lights were accompanied by tribal drums which created polyrhythms and building tension on stage.
After this introduction, Mohawke and his team went into his repertoire of “video game” electronic music, with roots in the happy hardcore genre.
The group played Mohawke’s most popular songs, such as “Chimes,” “Scud Books” and “Higher Ground.” The latter is a song from the dynamic DJ duo TNGHT, which consists of Mohawke and the Canadian DJ Lunice.
Mohawke showcased his bashful personality and monumental sound while using pounding bass and organ-like melodies. This sound demonstrated the power and intense vision that Mohawke’s music projects.
There was also an element of soul that snuck into the music, particularly in the song “Ryderz” that samples D.J. Rogers’ 1973 soul cut “Watch Out for the Riders.” Hip-hop is a focus of Mohawke’s, and is most apparent in his remix of Gucci Mane’s “Party Animal,” which he played later on in his set.
Though Mohawke’s name is still dwarfed in comparison to some of the artists he works with, it is certainly worth asking how a once small-time Scottish DJ was propelled into working with hip-hop giants. There’s no stopping talent, as Mohawke’s tracks caught like wildfire on the Internet, which forced the music industry to pay attention.
With Mohawke listed as a producer on Kanye West’s anthem “Mercy” and The-Dream writing credit for Rihanna’s hit song “Umbrella,” it seems like these artists can do it all. Both Mohawke and The-Dream are successful writers, producers and performers in their own right.
