I was honestly surprised that when Alt-J took the stage they weren’t accompanied by a MacBook. The sun was beating down on a packed outdoor performance area at Waterloo Records as Alt-J delivered a very skilled performance that was simply four guys playing their instruments with some electronic drums, bass synths and oodles of guitar effects thrown in the mix. What surprised me the most about the show was that despite sounding very electronic and produced, Alt-J’s album, An Awesome Wave, must’ve involved little to no post-production at all. Their live show was almost like listening to the album on huge speakers. This was both a good and bad thing. Clearly the band was astoundingly polished and the performers were very talented, being able to deliver a really complex and layered sound with just keys, guitar and bass. Yet Alt-J’s show lacked energy. They didn’t move around, jam out, extend any songs, or really interact with the audience. They simply delivered a very good rendition of their album, no more, no less. They played all the songs one would expect at their show and executed them very well. While Alt-J’s music is fantastic, they’re clearly a band with comfort in the studio creating these complex and layered arrangements rather than thriving off of the energy of the crowd.

Post by Kyle Henson. His DJ show “The Roots of Pop” airs Sundays at 6 p.m.

RAC

RAC, or Remix Artist Collective is a set of three DJs that collaborate on remixing a variety of indie music. They tend to work with larger samples and sections of the songs and build from there, rather than taking a more traditional approach of taking a small samples and embedding it in their mixes.

I went to see RAC at Club Deville on Red River Street at the No Way Back Party, hosted by the Barbarian Group and Vimeo. The venue was essentially a large white tent set up outside of a dingy bar. Even though RAC was the first group to go on for the night, there were easily 200 people there already. Two of the three members of RAC, Andre Anjos and Karl Kling, were representing up on stage. One DJ was using the laptop and mixer to adjust effects and levels as he transitioned, while the other manually manipulated the electronic tracks.

The result was a powerful combination of danceable electronic music and familiar indie tracks. The crowd went especially wild as the duo started to mix in the lyrics of “Something Good Can Work” by Two Door Cinema Club, and the fierce voice of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song “Zero.” Overall, the show went well, and RAC had something to get everyone dancing.

The Juan Maclean

RAC recommended coming back to see The Juan Maclean later that day. The Juan MacLean is musician John MacLean’s DJ name. For background, John MacLean was previously know for his work in the band Six Finger Satellite with James Murphy (who later went on to start the indie electronica group LCD Soundsystem).

Returning to the Club Deville a little over an hour after seeing RAC, the crowd had grown and average blood alcohol content in the room had probably doubled. The Juan MacLean was using CDJs to rock the dance floor with a more old school sound. His set consisted of house music that wasn’t as typically drum and bass heavy, but rather relied on a larger variety of percussion sounds and funk bass and instrument samples.

After several songs and seamless transitions his set became a little repetitive. Although I enjoyed the set thoroughly, as Alan Palomo (Neon Indian) appeared behind the stage, I couldn’t help but wait for Maclean to finish so we could see what Palomo had in store for the night. Still, I’m glad I took RAC’s recommendation and checked out a cool DJ set by The Juan Maclean.

Neon Indian (DJ set)

Finally, Alan Palomo, better known as Neon Indian, took the stage. This was clearly the moment a large majority of the audience was waiting for, because the crowd erupted as he transitioned into his music. Neon Indian is well known for his work creating chillwave music with washy effects and synthesizers.

One of my favorite parts about his DJ sets was that we didn’t have to wait as for any “hype” to build up for the headlining act. As The Juan Maclean signaled that his set was finishing, Palomo jumped in, and transitioned into his thick layered synth sounds immediately. He played no traditional Neon Indian band music, but still stayed true to the Neon Indian sound, choosing dance tracks that relied heavily on analog synthesizers and old school effects (think classic video game noises). He avoided being cheesy by mixing in a variety of drum and vocal samples, frequently changing the tracks up, and dancing behind the decks with the audience.

As Palomo was grooving and mixing up on stage, one by one, the audience joined him on stage, bringing the party to him. About halfway into the stage, we were partying with Neon Indian on stage, having a fantastic time. Like all good things, the experience did end, but it was definitely one of the highlights of my SXSW experience.

Post by Akaash Mungale. His DJ show “Terminally Chill” airs Thursdays at 4 p.m.

Neon Indian (Alan Palomo DJ Set) @ Hipstamatic House

Early afternoon some of us from WRCT caught Alan Palomo, lead of Neon Indian, over at the Hipstamatic House for a funky DJ set. Palomo incorporated a lot of classic disco, funk, and 80s synth-pop into his set that was perfect for the sunny outdoor vibes of the location. Though the set was supreme there was one lingering question in my head: Where is the rest of the band?

Fortunately after the set Palomo was kind enough to stay around and talk. It turns out that Palomo and the band has been working on a third album and it sounded like they all needed a break. Palomo also mentioned after three years of coming to SXSW as a band, he did not want to subject him or the band to the stresses of the festival. To set up a full band multiple times a day, all week can be an exhausting proposition. By doing a DJ Set, Palomo has been able to have a more enjoyable SXSW experience, he said. With less equipment to lug around, he can easily perform all week without much stress.

I think a testament to Palomo’s new found enjoyment was how fun his set was. He seemed really relaxed while nodding his head to the beats, while the crowd danced along. Though the music he was playing was not his typical chillwave, the vibe that it created was the same. It seemed like many of the songs that he played might have inspired the music he makes. So it was interesting to pry inside his mind through the songs he chose. I highly recommend seeing Palamo do a DJ set if you have the chance and check out the third Neon Indian album when that drops.

Post by Sam Friedlander. His DJ show “____lander” airs Thursdays at 1 a.m.