Digitalism is Germany's response to groups such as Daft Punk and Depeche Mode, both of whom have revolutionized electronic music. The German duo consists of Jens "Jence" Moelle and Ismail "Isi" Tüfekçi, who met each other while working at a record store in Hamburg. Their music has been featured in various commercials and video games such as "FIFA 08."
While Digitalism sparingly releases albums, they have toured the world every year of their existence, often stopping in the United States along the way. I had been longing to see them live since 10th grade, after hearing their song "Zdarlight" in an advertisement for BMW. Earlier this month, it finally happened.
Digitalism's set began at 8:30 PM and ended at 10:00 PM. The spark of energy thorughout the venue was there from the first notes of their track "Pogo," a thumping electronic rock track from their 2007 debut album "Idealism." Next was their 2016 single "Battlecry," an in-your-face banger that rivals the musical hedonism of Icona Pop. Although Digitalism does not use electric guitars in their shows, the grimey guitar sounds on tracks such as "Utopia" and "Destination Breakdown" sounded astonishing live.
One of the most exciting moments for me was hearing live vocoder on tracks such as "Magnets" and "The Ism." I knew that several producers use vocoder in their live shows to make their voices more electronic-sounding, but finally seeing that effect live was mesmerizing.
Their encore set began with "Magnets" and concluded with the appropriately titled "Go Time," which was the ideal uptempo song for closing. The track was also the capstone of their more recent, faster, dancier sound a la CHVRCHES and Walk the Moon. The overall setlist was a great balance of fan favorites with new tracks to keep the interest of older and younger fans.
Aside from the music, what I loved about the venue, U Street Music Hall, was its intimacy (with a capacity of less than 500 people) and its dual use for both DJs and live acts. Digitalism uses backing tracks for certain songs, but all of the singing is live, and the bass comes through well in the house speakers. One part of the show that I thought was rather odd was having a see-through curtain for projected visuals between Digitalism and the audience. However, the radiant colors complemented the lively trance in the duo's music.
Another thing that I was unusual was the timing of the touring. The duo's new album "Mirage" was released on May 13th, with their American tour starting on May 19th. Six days for fans to learn and connect with an entire album, especially one from a group whose last album came out in 2011, is rather hyperventilating. Most other electronic musicians wait about a month after the album release to begin their tour. Nevertheless, the short time frame did not prevent Digitalism from performing a stellar show. With their annual trips to America becoming a staple of U Street Music Hall, I can't wait for them to return to DC.
