Out of the hundreds of high-profile artists and lesser known quality acts composing its lineup, Coachella Music Festival’s best set last weekend wasn’t Outkast’s long-awaited reunion or Nas’ 20th anniversary performance of “Illmatic.” While those acts and many others were incredible in their own ways, the best in my opinion was the less crowded, 50 minute DJ performance that was situated away from the main stages by the Los Angeles-based Wedidit Collective’s artist, Shlohmo.
I’d been looking forward to his show ever since the lineup for the festival was announced, and from the minute he came on to slapping bass behind a neon-framed tombstone, Shlohmo proceeded to melt my mind with the most beautiful, spooky beats I’d ever heard. The transitions were seamless, and I never got bored of the mesh of spaced out synths, chopped vocals and descending snare rolls. I left dumbfounded and thirsty for more.
Shlohmo is one of the founders of the Wedidit collective, which he created in 2008 with DJ Nick Melons. Their sound can be generalized as underground-based styles of electronic, but varies greatly from Shlomo’s almost ambient, off-kilter album cuts such as “Big Feelings” to signee RL Grime’s filthy, knocking remix of Chief Keef’s “Love Sosa.”
Their other talent includes Juj, Groundislava and D33J. Despite gaining mainstream recognition with a Weekend cosign through Shlomo’s official remix of “Crew Love” and the viral success of RL Grime’s edits of more popular hip hop tracks like “Mercy,” Wedidit has stayed true to their sound and continue putting out authentic slaps while still expanding their fanbase.
RL Grime’s set the following day further cemented Wedidit’s dominance of Coachella, laying down slaps that rivaled and in my opinion surpassed major headliner Skrillex’s hectic performance that occured later that night. From when he dropped “Love Sosa” to the surprise appearance by G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean to perform his verses on “Mercy” and “All Me,” artist RL Grime made sure that people “got turnt” and had no choice but to “stay turnt” until he left the stage.
As I walked out of Grime’s set sore throated and sweating buckets, I fully comprehended Wedidit’s success at providing such an authentic and superior alternative group to the sometimes generic, or uninspired American EDM variants that run rampant at Coachella.
If their previous success is any indicator, Wedidit will continue to do that they do best: make bangers and gain fan loyalty. If you aren’t familiar with their names, educate yourself sooner rather than later because they aren’t leaving anytime soon.