Kangding Ray

Kangding Ray's set surprised most of those who showed up early enough to catch his sharp brand of Raster-Noton beats. Born David Letellier in France and now located in Berlin, he may have started a little late, apparently having passed out cold from jet lag until mere moments before his set was to start, but any fatigue he may have felt was not evident in his performance. Letellier's shaved head bobbed incessantly for his entire set, as if his movement was powering his propulsive low-end, which played a larger and more consistent role here than on his albums. Where the charm of those like Actress and Teebs comes in part from their abandon, dropping sounds in where they feel like they should go, Kangding Ray's admiration is earned from his control, from his precise sound design and complete command over his digital soundscapes. Yet, for his astounding technical proficiency that is worthy of intensive academic dissection, there is a fluid physicality to his sound, a fact demonstrated by his constant nodding, which was reciprocated threefold by the crowd.