Savant & DotEXE @ El Rey Theater

The El Rey Theater was one of the few venues left in SoCal that I haven't been to - the others being some in Pomona and Yost Theater (both of which I'll be going to later this year). It's a decent size, smaller than both the Fonda Theater and Avalon, and the steps leading to center stage are a bit of a drag.

But let's get to the star of the night - Savant. Hailing from Oslo, Norway, Aleksander Vinter aka Savant is an honest-to-God savant, living with a condition known as Asberger's Syndrome. According to the bio on his site, he has released over 10,000 songs spanning a wide range of genres and styles. In 2009, he was even nominated for a Grammy. Since his first album in 2011, 'Ninur,' under the Savant moniker, Vinter has released nine albums and is already at work on his tenth. His work is teeming with sophisticated basslines and melodies, often incorporating a jazz or classical element into his mostly electrohouse work.

Last night was headed up by SoCal-native Precept and Chicagoite DotEXE. Precept has residencies at a lot of other clubs in SoCal, but the Avalon had the night off, so he graced the stage at El Rey. Sticking to mostly house and trap, Precept showed his diversity by playing some choice tunes by Pendulum, even the classic 'Tarantula', which got the whole room jumping. DotEXE dominated the room as well. The Monstercat powerhouse also threw in a few trap tunes but also played some Pendulum, 'The Vulture', which got the crowd moshing. Both artists have managed to make a huge name for themselves in the short time span of just a couple years. It seems like so many producers have come out of the woodwork these past two years, it's important to remember that heavyweights like Rusko, Caspa, Skream, and Coki have been around for nearly a decade. That being said, if this new generation of producers, like Haywyre and Savant, is able to put out quality work, tunes with melody, with purpose, then there's nothing that they can't accomplish - even getting some of those non-believers onto our side.

@mnmedia13 haha fuck ya man glad you enjoyed it!
— djplurcept (@djprecept) September 28, 2013

Now on to the man himself - Savant. Much like the man dressed in purple on the cover of his album 'Alchemist', Savant strode onto stage dressed in a purple cape, purple pimp suit, purple 'pirate' hat and golden Guy Fawkes mask. "Eccentric" would be an understatement for this man. Dropping a slew of originals including 'No Time For Pussy', Savant continued to slay the dance floor. My only gripe with him - and it's not a very reasonable one - is that his tracklist seemed to lack a bit of variety. Of course, if you're going to see Savant, expect him to play within his wheelhouse; it's criminal to expect anything different (for example, to expect Heroes x Villains to play good music).