TOKiMONSTA

The audience was packed in tight for the start of Jennifer Lee's (aka TOKiMONSTA) MUTEK debut. She said a quick hello, then jumped into an energetic set full of original West Coast-flavored beats. Timbaland-influenced rhythms and 8-bit melodies bounced off vocals that were cut, sliced and looped in repeat succession. 15 minutes into her set, a loose cable connection forced a complete drop in audio, requiring an engineer to jump on stage for repairs. Once fixed, it was evident that a number of the elements heard were pre-recorded. The audio picked up as if nothing had happened, leaving things feeling a little contrived from that point forward. Lee favoured a number of self-made mashups over her original material, including hits from artists like Dr. Dre, Biggie Smalls and Armand Van Helden. She did sneak in a couple of her own productions throughout the performance, even checking in with the audience, asking if they were "okay" with the new stuff she was showcasing. Her fans remained defiant despite her uncertainty, dancing and shouting as the emerging Los Angeles-based talent briefly transformed Société Des Arts Technologiques into a main street nightclub.