After 36 hours worth of recovery from a weekend in the desert, I was back on the live music horse — checking out Mura Masa and Kamaiyah at the El Rey Theatre as part of the Coachella sideshow series Goldenvoice throws.
Electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist Mura Masa was also freshly back from Coachella — where he brought out Charli XCX and A$AP Rocky in the Mojave Tent on Saturday night. His show at the El Rey was packed with adoring fans — some who I heard talk about his Coachella set as being one of their favorites of the opening weekend. It’s no surprise — Mura Masa is uniquely talented. Aside from working the decks, he plays drums, keys, guitar, and occasionally sings. The producer also brought a guest vocalist with him — Fliss brought a ton of energy to the set.
Mura Masa played about an hour — his set covering a variety of of feels. I kept getting a ’90s dance vibe, mixed in with a similar vibe to Rudimental, Lido, and Clean Bandit. Highlights of the night included “Love$ick”, “1 Night” and “What If I Go?”. Mura Masa exited the stage before returning for an extended version of “Firefly,” one of the dopest songs from his repertoire. Fliss was especially dynamic in the song’s final moments, getting the crowd to sing along with the chorus over and over. Fans had their hands in the air all night, bobbing and weaving despite many of them still feeling the effects of a long weekend at the Polo Grounds.
Bay Area rapper Kamaiyah performed a brief set, but made her mark on the 25 or so minutes she was on stage. The Oakland product showcased some serious hyphy vibes, a callback to the times of Mac Dre and Keak da Sneak on singles “Break You Down” and “Nxggas”. The crowd was pretty hyped for her — she’s a rapper on the rise with a ton of swagger. I was glad I finally got to see her perform after hearing good things.
Overall it was a great way to shake the funk from Coachella and get back in the rhythm of things. If you want to see a dynamic electronic performance, circle Mura Masa on the calendar when he comes to your town.
WATCH MURA MASA PERFORM “1 NIGHT” WITH CHARLI XCX AT COACHELLA BELOW
