Techno genius Alexander Rhida, who performs under the moniker Boys Noize, arrived on stage at around nine o’clock on Thursday 11 October to meet a large horde of eager fans in the Academy. Within seconds the venue was transformed into as close a copy of a buzzing German warehouse as possible.
Acknowledging the importance of visual stimulation, Boys Noize performed the set on the crown of a giant bejewelled skull; a pimped out booth of sorts. In the backdrop a large screen displayed flashing video images, making strobe light shows look antiquated. Following the success of his latest album ‘Out of the Black’ the electro DJ and producer is once again beginning an international tour.
Since the release of his first album, ‘Oi Oi Oi’, Rhida has been acknowledged as one of the head honchos of electro due to his genre-hopping remixes and his ability to move between heavy, grinding beats to slower hip-hop infused jams. In short he is savvier than many of his DJ peers when it comes to changing pace. This may not sound as complimentary as it should, but consider the genre. Playing on the scene for the last decade has gained him a cult following, with fellow artists like 2 Many DJS, Justice and Tiga promoting his music during their sets. This experience is evident in this latest album and on stage.
‘What You Want’, a self-reflexive but never too serious track, is a definite crowd favourite. The climactic anthem for illicit underground culture ‘XTC’ also creates massive crowd movement. Mash-up tune ‘Circus Full of Clowns’ is a stellar example of how the multi-dimensional persona that is Boys Noize changes from one mood and genre to another. ‘Rocky 2′ offers the grungy, grinding beat he is known for, and has made an electro favourite due to his preference for original ‘old school’ analogue synthesizers. Snoop Dogg fans will also be pleased by ‘I’ll House You feat Snoop Dogg’ and ‘Got It feat Snoop Dogg’ in his compilation.
Playing for over an hour and a half, the veteran DJ ended the gig with a filtration of theatrical smoke. Climbing down from his vantage point on top of the skull, he cheerfully thanks his audience in a surprisingly understated way. He knows he has already established himself, now is the time to relax back into it.
Aoife Ryan
