Golden boys The Chainsmokers have been one of the highest trending acts of 2014 and show no signs of slowing down their excelsior-ious run. Debuting on the DJ Mag list at #97 this October, the duo has proven itself to be more than a one-hit wonder with the well-received release of Kanye in August, their shotgun mainstage performance at this year’s edition of Ultra Music Festival, and a ammunition-like release of remixes that have fuelled ecstasy across the dance music spectrum.
The Chainsmokers have subtly achieved what the artistic greats of a generation always have – hold up a mirror to society. And when people don’t like what they’re seeing, it’s easy to retaliate by criticizing the duo for playing to the gallery with their “generic” productions. But from another angle, The Chainsmokers have captured the zeitgeist of the millennial generation for all its camera vanity and Kanye-like entitlement and granted it artistic expression. Whether it’s Selfie or Kanye, their art imitates life.
When we caught up with them last Saturday (interview soon to be released), men of the hour Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart were midway through their tri-city India tour. Performing at the phantasmagorical Kingdom of Dreams, they delivered one of the most high-energy, high-octane sets that this city has been lucky to witness. The crowd loved the act from every jump to drop – “Can Delhi party harder than Mumbai?” One of Delhi’s resident DJs, Mash opened the night, dishing out the perfect tracks for a crowd high on anticipation, from Mark Knight’s remix of You’ve Got The Love by Florence & The Machine to Chris Lake’s Helium, which makes you feel as light as its name. But his standout track was one of Deadmau5’s seven deadly songs, Avaritia, which has enthralled crowds across the Delhi ever since the mau5 opened his set with the track at his concert in March.
The Chainsmokers opened their set with a classic ID and dropped some of the massive mixes that they’ve been trailblazing with this year, taking off with a mash-up of My Love by Route 94 and 2013’s iconic collab, Ingrosso and Tommy Trash’s Reload. Their take on Calvin Harris’ summer hit Under Control X Yee by Deorro was simply ingenious, but Harris’ collaboration with Alesso wasn’t the only track off his fresh-out-of-the-studio album, Motion – Big Sean’s rap verse on Open Wide and Blame featuring British singer-songwriter John Newman also made the cut. His incredible vocals stole the night, especially when they dropped a remix of his majestic anthem Love Again. Calvin Harris’s older gems, Sweet Nothing with Florence Welsh and Feel So Close featuring his own vocals (!) also received the quintessential Chainsmokers remix treatment.
Their set list was rife with overtures and teasers of the best electro music edits ever – who doesn’t love the sounds on Eric Prydz’s remix of M83’s Midnight City or the echoes of the DallasK remix of MGMT’s Electric Feel? – as they showcased unknown gems like the addictive Steerner bootleg of Sub Focus‘ Turn Back Time. Their song selection spanned eras and genres from a throwback to the 90s, courtesy Paul Oakenfold’s mix of the cult Red Hot Chili Peppers classic Otherside, to a dubstep remix of DJ Snake’s chart-topping Turn Down for What.
They cherry-picked their catchiest indie-pop remixes, an étude in which they’ve carved a distinctive niche called The Chainsmokers sound – light, dance-y, pulsating melodies. Their performance was all-inclusive of their remixes of Chromeo’s Jealous, Cash Cash and Bebe Rexha’s Take Me Home, and Swedish songstress Tove Lo’s summer megahit, Habits. And of course, before there was Selfie, there was Dreaming. It was their remix of this song by Smallpools that skyrocketed the duo from stellar to interstellar in 2013. It was their first big track ever: no Chainsmokers set would ever be complete without it.
Here’s the most lovable thing about The Chainsmokers: they’re not afraid to laugh at themselves. They’ve made the Botnek remix of Selfie a staple in their sets, notorious for its play on the chorus “But first. . . shut the **** up”. It’s that sense of humour that gives them the chutzpah to play the original version later in the set, as they pose with the crowd for the official selfie of the night.
They ended the magic on a high note, debuting new original material including a beautiful track with the working title Split, layered over with the acapella of Nico & Vinz’s Am I Wrong. Remixes by wunderkinds Audien (on Bastille’s Pompeii) and Arty (on Porter Robinson’s Lionhearted) also made an appearance, before they went out on a bang with the monstrous anthem Tremor by newly crowned #1s, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. The Chainsmokers oozed originality and general epic-ness as they worked the console for two hours that night. Christmas will be coming slightly late to Goa, but it’ll be worth it when they bring their charm again to Goa come to December 27th-30th for Vh1 Supersonic.
Huge shout out to everyone at Vh1 Supersonic for putting together such a spectacular gig!
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