I found myself in LA this weekend on business and after discovering I had Saturday night free, decided to poke around and see what was going on in town. A buddy, and former Los Angeles resident, pitched me a few ideas- one of which was Exchange LA. Upon examining Exchange’s website, I saw that Nicole Moudaber was not only playing, but doing an open to close set that was scheduled from 10pm to 6am. Admittedly, being a Trance and Progressive DJ, I am not as well versed in all the artists and labels for techno as I am my own fortes. That being said, I knew who Nicole was and have loved everything I’ve heard from her, so the choice of plans for the evening was a no-brainer.
The evening started slightly behind schedule due to an earlier private event running late, but this gave me some time to explore the Exchange’s downstairs area and side room while the main room was being prepped. What I assume was the local opener for the side area kicked things off with some time-slot appropriate house and tech house, which I welcomed to set the mood while I awaited the opening of the upstairs area.
Once I noticed groups heading for the stairs out of the corner of my eye, I assumed that meant it was go time. This being my first time at Exchange, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as, truthfully, I hadn’t even really looked at photos of the venue. I walked in to see a glass display with numerous masks and the sound of deep house thumping away. As I turned the corner, there Moudaber was, already grooving with a smile on her face. To the left and right of the main stage were Funktion 1 stacks that I literally drooled over. I’ve had the opportunity to play on some F1s before and the experience is amazing. I immediately knew that I was in for a treat with this caliber of sound and Moudaber at the helm.
Nicole worked the room as a maestro only can, setting the tone with pulsing funky deep house. Graphics displaying her logo, the verbiage “Open to Close”, and “Hour One” flashed on the screen behind her. The lighting was minimal, but it all just fit so perfectly. After the first hour Moudaber hopped on the mic, letting everyone know it was time to kick things up a notch, and she did not disappoint. The tone shifted from deep house to tech house and techno. With each passing hour, her beats grew heavier, darker, and even slightly faster. The thing that struck me was that not only was the music and mixing absolutely masterful with each track, but the visual and lighting was equally paced with Nicole’s sound.
I’m not sure if she brought her own visuals tech or not, but she and the lighting and screen elements seemed to work as if they were all one symbiotic entity. In the 10pm hour, there was barely any lighting and only one screen showing with her logo and visuals. By hour 3, the entire video wall was firing and all of the intelligent lighting was in use. It was completely in concert with Moudaber, which just added yet another amazing dimension to the show. At one point, she had an entire entourage on stage with her dancing and partying while she continued hitting the crowd with her relentlessly delicious dark beats.
The night’s music and vibe was so encompassing that it moved me to do something I NEVER- repeat- NEVER do…. dance.
Sadly, I was not able to stay to the end of this marathon set. I ducked out somewhere in the 4am hour, as I had an early morning flight out and was planning on heading directly from Exchange to my flight, but after a night’s worth of dancing and adventure, a quick shower was much needed before sitting in an airplane for 3+ hours.
In closing, I’d like to thank the good folks over at Exchange LA for being very hospitable and making this Houston DJ feel welcome.
Exchange LA:
www.exchangela.com
If you’re somehow reading this Ms Moudaber, thank you for making my night in LA one I’ll never forget.
More info on Nicole Moudaber:
https://twitter.com/nicolemoudaber
https://www.facebook.com/officialpage
Matthew is a well known and respected DJ and promoter based out of Houston, TX. Dunn has well over a decade behind the decks, played alongside some of the biggest names in dance music, and is a fixture in the EDM community both on local and international level.
