Excision is a dubstep producer from Canada who knows how to bring on the bass. I have been following Excision for quite some time – he is definitely one of the most talented producers in the EDM game. I first saw an Excision show in 2011 on his X rated tour and I was blown away by the amount of sound this artist brings to his shows. For the last year, Excision has taken a break from his alias and has produced and performed as Destroid, a live dubstep band. I personally think some of Excision’s best work to date has been with Destroid – the band has a level of production which is practically unmatched by other dubstep artists. Now X is back with a 150,000 watt speaker system that will blow your mind.
Excision’s live show is more than just a DJ set, it is an entire production of lights, sound, and stage effects. The show began with a cinematic sequence where a large object from space crashes down to earth. The stage opens up to reveal Excision and his fist-pumping dubstep. The lights and lasers were mind-bending, especially the three-dimensional projections on X’s massive stage. At certain points in the show, the stage would close and Excision would catch the crowd in a trance as visuals danced and played out across the stage. He would then build up to a drop and the stage would open again, accompanied by flashing visuals and lasers.
Never have I seen such an energetic and fun crowd at the House of Blues – the crowd is often stifled by security and lack of space (especially at sold out shows). X’s set can be best described as “bouncy”, seeing as the crowd was jumping for most of the show. There is no doubt the extra speakerage makes a massive difference in this show. When I stood near the front I felt as if my entire body was encompassed by the bass. Excision made sure to drop all of his popular songs including “Get Stupid”, “Bounce”, and “The Underground”. I was also excited to hear some other new songs on this soundsystem such as “All is Fair in Love and Brostep” by Skrillex and “All Black Everything” by Crizzly and Figure.
As for the openers, I would not have missed them for the world. Ill Gates messed with the crowd, playing creepy music videos and unnerving dubstep. The best part of Gates’s set was his live performance aspect. The artist would take breaks from his decks to create live beats with a 4 x 4 drum pad while putting the video feed of his fingers on screen. At one point Ill Gates stopped his music and said to the crowd, “I’ve been working on this song but I’m probably going to fuck it up – here goes nothing”. DIrtyphonics was up next and did not lack in any sense. With their mixture of trap, bigroom house, and dubstep, this group was an energetic and fun opener. With Excision’s sound system to boost their music, these openers are a valuable addition to the tour.
photo credit: ikonicsound.com
Overall, I was only left wanting more Excision when the show ended, which is a great sign in the live EDM world. If you are from outside of Boston and have the opportunity, don’t miss Excision and his 150,000 watt speaker system.
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