Big Gigantic @ The Electric Factory with Louis the Child, Melvv and Wax Future.
Text by Erik Whipp. Images by Magdalena Papaioannou.
After a day that could not figure out whether it was winter or spring, the Electric Factory opened its doors to fans of all ages for a Saturday to remember.
The stage was set and a wide-breadth of DJs and performers with varying influences were scheduled to hit the stage. The show welcomed those of all ages and backgrounds to dance the night away. As the fans packed into the venue, Wax Future hit the stage to showcase their take on electronic funk music.
Philly’s own Wax Future performed as a two-piece band. The crowd roared as the two men took hold of their respective instruments and began their sound check. Using only a DJ board and live guitar, Wax Future showed Philly their own brand of new age funk music. As their set began, the crowd put away their cell phones and erupted with admiration and danced energetically. Masterfully executed crescendos created a tension and release where the crowd would have moments of relaxation followed by sounds that gave birth to more dancing. The two musicians embodied their music, the guitarists had an infectious energy as he moved with the music while his partner displayed intense focus on the boards.
As Wax Future’s set came to a close, the fans packed in closer and closer to the stage. Next, Wisconsin’s Melvv took the stage.
Melvv, the 19-year-old DJ, introduced his set with an ethereal track that incorporated an EDM beat with filtered synths and minimal drums. As the song came to a close, the DJ pulled his flat brim hat down toward his eyes, gave a smirk and the rest of the set was filled with trap influences and catchy melodies. The crowd was a sea of hands, swaying to the beats, reacting to the few and far between comments from Melvv with intense uproars of admiration.
As Melvv took his final bow, many began to anticipate the arrival of Louis the Child, the production duo from Chicago.
Louis the Child is heavily known for their hit song, “It’s Strange.” The duo has garnered critical acclaim within the pop EDM genre, air time on radio stations like the BBC and KCRW, and they also have been placed on Snapchat’s 2016 “EDM Artists to Watch.” One thing is for sure, they did not leave the crowd disappointed.
The duo played an assortment of music, mostly EDM. Some notable songs were “It’s Strange, Ridin’ Around” by Oshi and “Down for Whatever” by Imad Royal. The upbeat tunes, dirty drops and memorable melodies infected the crowd at every transition. Whenever a new song began, the crowd would erupt with screams and applause. The two DJs were enjoying their moment in the limelight as well, their energy seldom ceased as they would jump up and off of their DJ table throughout the set.
By the time Louis the Child’s set was finished, the Electric Factory was at capacity. The smokey stage was illuminated with blue light as Big Gigantic’s crew prepped the stage for the two artists. As the members emerged from the blue smoke, the crowd erupted and it began.
The artists came out of the gate at full speed, playing a remix of Major Lazer’s 2015 single “Wave (feat. Kalis Uchis).” The two performers burst with energy. The drummer encouraged the audience to clap along while playing upright. Directly to his left, the saxophonist controlled the DJ board while playing beautiful, modern sax chords. The two were completely in their element, smiling throughout the set, always making sure to communicate with the crowd. The duo had the crowd in the palm of their hand, playing nostalgic songs like “Teach Me How to Dougie” and “I Gotta Go.” It was evident in their control of the crowd that this Colorado crew was born to perform.
The only upset in Big Gigantic’s set was the appearance of recorded drums throughout their set. Little to no audio was audible from the drummer’s performance as you moved toward the back of the venue. The drummer would incorporate intricate fills into the arrangement but the only audible drums sounded electronic and pre recorded. The live drums were not completely inaudible, there were moments of snare hits and crashes. However, the majority of what the audience heard did not match up with what was being performed.
Big Gigantic will return to Philadelphia for Camp Bisco in mid July with various other artists.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 
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