Author: Dean DeChiaro
Major Lazer, the powerhouse electronic Jamaican-style dancehall duo of Diplo and Switch, brought serious noise to the Avalon nightclub in Hollywood on Friday night. The pair dropped the heavy choruses of their hits “Pon de Floor,” “Keep it Goin’ Louder,” “Jump Up” and “Hold the Line,” then raised the bar 15 minutes into their set by dropping their wildly successful summer remix of Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh.” And while Major Lazer was the main attraction of the night, the audience’s large Occidental contingent also poured into the Jerry Lewis Lounge to the right of the main stage for a chance to see former-Oxy DJs Sweet FA (Freddie Allen) and Sam Wilkes.
Prior to the show, Allen said that their set would be heavily reminiscent of Major Lazer’s unique sound. “We’re going to be playing pretty much straight dancehall, with some two-step. That’s going to be the theme of the night. It’s going to be a big party,” he said.
While neither musician is currently enrolled at Oxy (Allen was an exchange student from England’s University of East Anglia last year and Wilkes is currently taking a semester off to pursue his music career), the DJs still retain a healthy fan base on campus. Up to 50 Oxy students flocked to the club off Hollywood Boulevard to see the pair spin, and reviews were positive.
“It was Sam’s first time spinning at the Avalon, and because Freddie’s done gigs there before, they were able to mix old and new really well. It was awesome,” said Dani Caban (junior).
Between Major Lazer and the Oxy duo to the side, the crowd was treated to a double bill of dancehall, dubstep and straight electro.
“It was really a night of dancehall debauchery,” said Rob Deans (junior).
Both Allen and Wilkes are self-represented by their DIY music label Metamimetic Records that they created with others this summer.
The show also marked the end of a successful year at the Avalon in Los Angeles for Allen, who will return to finish school in England at the end of this month.
Spinning regularly in Hollywood, building the Metamimetic label with Wilkes and others and writing a column for the influential electronic music blog Gotta Dance Dirty, Allen spoke positively of his time in L.A.
“It’s gone so, so fast. I’ve had so many good experiences; there’s lots of great music out here and great people. Everyone’s been very supportive and great to work with,” Allen said.
Wilkes is currently working on a new EP, following his independently released Wilkish mixtape (2009) and this summer’s EP, Booth.
“It’s some stuff that’s a mix from the other releases, but with some new influences,” said Wilkes.
Major Lazer recently released a new EP, Lazers Never Die, and are currently on tour. For more information on SweetFA and Sam Wilkes visit metamimetic.com.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
