Diplo Visits Ocean Club and Does What He Does Best: Something Different

diplo wf
Image captured at Wavefront Music Festival 2013, Chicago

Check out past events from Ocean Club 2013: Knife Party | Eric Prydz

Over the past couple days we were incredibly surprised to see some negative reactions to Diplo‘s Sunday night performance at the Ocean Club in Quincy MA. I say we were surprised because we and our group of friends all had a great time. Anyone who attends a Diplo show should expect the unexpected. While you can make a few educated guesses about what you’re going to hear from the producer, label boss, and one half of Major Lazer, you can never predict a full set list or even a general vibe. With that said, there was certainly a lot of buzz leading up to the night of July 21st – and I’m talking more than usual for an Ocean Club event. Online tickets were going for $70 by the time the show rolled around, but fans had no problem shelling out the cash since Diplo coming to Boston is such a rare treat. And we could certainly feel the buzz when we walked into Ocean Club, as late-addition Grandtheft was already tearing up the decks with his complimentary eclectic style.

The name Grandtheft is fairly common in our circles because of his countless collaborations and remix efforts, many of which are with Diplo himself. Knowing of his work and his attitude on the decks, we made sure to get to Ocean Club earlier than usual. Setting up under the back bar offered three advantages; loud, in-your face-speakers, room to twerk, and easy access to cold beverages. Grandtheft smashed tune after tune, playing remixes of Sweet Nothing and The Fog, both of which he worked with Diplo on. The big hits of the night were Higher by Desctructo (always a MMIBTY favorite) and his smooth transition into Disclosure‘s When a Fire Starts to Burn. When the stage finally went dark, we all were speechless swearing that he stole the night from Diplo… but we were about to be proven otherwise.

Diplo came out with a bang, as to be expected. Keep in mind we saw Wes do his thing just a couple weeks ago at Wavefront Festival, where he destroyed an hour-long sunset slot on the festival’s main stage. And you know how a lot of DJs will play the same sets from show to show over a short period of time? Well Diplo did nothing of the kind. We had read Diplo’s tweet earlier in the day about how he had been listening to Big Pun, which could have been a reason he played so many Hip Hop tracks Sunday night. For us it’s always refreshing going to see an “EDM” DJ and receiving an Open Format type of set. While we originally got into Diplo for his Moombahton sounds, Moombah was probably the lowest-played genre he played all night. A lot of what was played stayed in the Big Room House and Hip-Hop/Trap realms. I was actually a bit surprised by how much Big Room House and “Go To War” songs were played, but I didn’t mind because the full hour and a half wasn’t filled with them. Diplo’s mixing, as always, was on point – building up one song into the drop of another, going seamlessly from a House track to Trap into Moombah and down into Hip-Hop. Our biggest complaint was Diplo’s mic couldn’t be heard, at least from the tent we were under, and that’s always an interactive experience at his shows.

Lil Jon’s “Get Low” was played, we heard “Bird Machine” a couple times, we heard “Booty Bounce”, we heard “Pon de Floor”, “Get Free”, and “Express Yourself” too. There was no shortage of twerkin’, girls on stage, and overall awesome vibes. We really don’t know what people are complaining about (the few who are): Diplo did exactly as he always does and that’s something different. Are you that much of an “EDM” head that you can’t handle a little Hip-Hop or an unpredictable set?  Probably best to stay away from Diplo and stick to the DJs who spin Big Room House. Just our two cents.

Thanks as always to the folks at MASS EDMC, NV Concepts, and Ocean Club. See you at the next event – there’s no shortage of them!

Diplo & Friends BBCR1xtra: July 2013 (2hr Diplo Set)

Babysteps – Aii (Original Mix)
Stinkahbelle – Scream
Kamillion – Pop This
Baauer – Slip
Lady Bee – Murder Dem
Heartbreak & Toddla T – Blaze Up (GTA Edit)
Idonia – Fi Di Jockey
Jaque Llucont Feat Cecile & General Degree – Banana
Chaka Demus – Murder She Wrote
Major Lazer – Bubble Butt (DJ Snake Remix)
Jackle – Shakedown (LOUDPVCK Remix)
B.o.B – Headband
Tyga – 187
Paul Devro – Fm$
Quality – Cumbia Storm
Zebra Cats – Dark Binder
Ciara – Goodies (Jay Spring vs Bourgeois Mix)
ShazaLaKazoo & Chernobyl Feat Zuzuka Poderosa – As Mulher (Gregor Salto Remix)
Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano – Ultronic
Martin Garrix – Animals
Darq E Freaker – Blueburry
Funkin Matt – Hawok (Original Mix)
King Louie – Little Did They Know
MA1 – Inside Me (Roska Remix)
Kidnap Kid – So Close (Club Mix)
Dr Jeep – Luv 4 Me
Kassiano & DJ Snake – Katuku
Stoltenhoff – Clubby Woodpecker
Fedde Le Grand and Sultan & Ned Shepard – No Good
Major Lazer – Mashup The Dance (Drunken Master Remix)
Busy P – Still Busy
Le Doom – Revolution
Dilligas – Slow Things Down
Joe Gibbs – Satta Amassa Gana Version
Flosstradamus – Roll Up (Baauer Remix)
The Partysquad – I’m About To
Diplo vs DJ Fresh – Earthquake (DJ Riot Zouk Bass Mix)
Missy Elliott – Get Your Freak On (Skullee remix)
Crystal Castles – Not In Love (Grandtheft Remix)
Kanye – I’m In It
Sophie – Bipp
Boddika – Mercy (Boddika Remix)
Hucci – Cashmere (Diplo Edit)
Breach – Jack
Jeremih – All The Time (Switch Mix)
Klp – Hands (DCUP Deep Remix)
Cell Broco – Brocos World
Joy Orbison – Donell
Calvin Harris – Awooga
Knife Party – LRAD (Heroes x Villans Remix)
DJ Snake – Together
Robyn – You Shoulda Knows (Savage Skulls Remix)
DJ Reflex and Childish Gambino – Body So Tight
William Arcane – Want Somebody

Urbanears x Mad Decent Block Party Mixtape By Grandtheft

Kingppin (Rockwell Remix) – Friction & Skream
KillaGraham – Ice Cream Anthem VIP
Mr. Carmack – Hopscotch
Grandtheft & Hedspin – Mobbin
Willy Joy – 281
Grandtheft & Skratch Bastid – Miley
Tropikillaz – Hotdamn!
TWRK – Nolia
Missy Elliot – Work It (Lunice Remix)
Pickster & Riot Earp – Ratchet Gas
Brillz X Dorrough – Rvtchet Bitch After Party (DJ Spider Blend)
Leftside X T.I. – Bubble (Dubble Dutch Blend)
Hardhouse Banton – El General
Machel Montano – The Fog (Major Lazer & Grandtheft Remix)
Jack Beats – KYD (Major Lazer X Jack Beats Remix)
Africanism – Block Party
Africanism – Block Party (Alvaro Remix)
Destructo – Higher
Kanye West – New Slaves (DJ Snake Remix)
Jay-z – Tom Ford
Partysquad – Molly
Grandtheft & Hedspin – Cockiness
Mayhem & Antiserum – Pakistan
RL Grime – Heard Me
Zeds Dead – Ratchet
Keys N Krates – Ratchet Hoe$
Rustie – Slasherr
Migos – Versace Feat. Drake
Rocky Fresh – Superman OG Feat. Lunice
Gilbere Forte – Polaroids (Prod. Grandtheft & Raak)