Getting Loony at Foundation: Malaa & Rezz Lunatic Tour

We knew this was not the show to miss after the announcement of the Lunatic Tour. These artists touring together is a match-up that we could’ve only dreamed of. The show quickly sold out, so it was certainly an indicator of the night ahead.  After REZZ’s performances at Shambhala and the Blueprint 19th Anniversary show we were ecstatic about the opportunity to see her at a smaller venue. Her second EP, Something Wrong Here captured the hypnotic, alien sound we love, and we were definitely looking forward to reliving our favorite REZZ experiences.

This performance marks the second time Malaa has been in the northwest this year. Since his January show, he’s gained mainstream adoration for his festival sets at Ultra Miami and Hard Summer. The French DJ’s strict anonymity and heavy house tunes has captured the interest of many.  His anthem of love and house music resonates with a variety of house enthusiasts. Well, the vibes were definitely real this weekend at Foundation Nightclub, as the Lunatic Tour did not disappoint.

Darrius was setting us up for REZZ when we arrived. Known as one of the northwest’s favorite openers, it’s always a good time when he opens a show. Darrius incorporated several house tunes to create a great track list that engaged the crowd for the night ahead. For those that have never been to Foundation, they have LED screens on pillars lining the dance floor, so you can see the visuals projected behind the stage and around you. It makes for a captivating atmosphere, and no matter where you are in the club you can see the visual production.

At 11:15, the moment we had all been waiting for arrived. REZZ graced the stage, and it was nothing short of glorious. You could tell how pumped everyone was to have her there, as people were jumping instantly as she started the first song. We were towards the back at this point, but quickly went to the front to get the best possible view. We’ve been starstruck by REZZ ever since we saw her at Paradiso and (especially) Shambhala, and each time we see her, her production becomes even more impressive. Along with the light-up hypnotic spectacles she wears, REZZ portrayed a variety of colorful, sharp, kaleidoscopic images that had us all mesmerized.

This guy’s facial expression at the Exchange LA stop of the tour basically sums it up.

That guys face , omfg ??? pic.twitter.com/bf9jsvJ5c2

— RΞZZ (@OfficialRezz) October 16, 2016

We were lucky enough to hear our favorite tracks from the EP,  such as when REZZ dropped Selector. You could tell it was one of the crowd favorites because everyone quickly hyped up during that song, along with several others (like Alien). She also mixed in Destroid and other hard-hitting tunes to give us the dose of dark techno that we love. REZZ hypnotized us and kept the momentum going from the instant she stepped on stage up until the very end.

We were blown away already, and the night wasn’t even close to ending. Malaa took the stage, and the crowd was ready to go. Malaa’s masked persona has left us intrigued for months, so we were stoked to see his live production. The masked DJ opened up with his traditional (and one of our favorite) deep house remixes to Who Gives. Its lyrics state ‘house music is about love, happiness; evolution plays a big part.” The environment at the club that evening definitely reflected these lyrics. This song captures the feeling of house music and the love that stems from the EDM community, which made this a fun opening song.

His introduction fueled our common love of house, as people quickly began getting their groove on to the deep sounds. Malaa played the mix of deep and tech house that got us going from beginning to end. Using his biggest hits as driving forces throughout the set, you could tell which songs captured the audiences energy. People were showing off their dance moves and getting down to his hits such as H+M, Notorious, Pregnant, and Prophecy. He definitely knew how to read his crowd. Plus, Malaa stated that he watched REZZ’s set from the crowd, so there’s been an exciting buzz on social media about him raging among everyone. He could have been next to us all along, which is one of the reasons why we find Malaa’s anonymity enticing.

Many attendees claimed this was the best booking Foundation has had this year (even to date). Several comments on the Facebook event page praised the artists, visual production, and the Foundation crew. All praise is justified, as we definitely had blast up until the last song. We left Foundation feeling a little loony, and craving a lot more of REZZ and Malaa’s energy. If you have the opportunity to see this tour, you definitely should! This dynamic pairing brings a tour with strong visual production and genre-variety. Throw in the good vibes, and it’s one of the top tours of the year. We can’t wait to see what REZZ and Malaa will produce in the future, and can only hope that future includes a return to the northwest.

Did you attend this show? Did you notice the same great vibes as we did? Let us know in the comments below!