A warm glow cast over faces in a pulsating crowd. This was Layton Giordani’s show—a stacked slate of powerhouse producers that drew an energetic audience to the Fruit in Durham, North Carolina on November 8th.
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A warm glow cast over faces in a pulsating crowd. This was Layton Giordani’s show—a stacked slate of powerhouse producers that drew an energetic audience to the Fruit in Durham, North Carolina on November 8th.
The night started with the aptly named newcomer ProdiG. After only a few months of practice, he delivered a set with the polish of a seasoned producer—a masterfully curated deep house journey through big anthemic moments and stripped-back interludes. A software engineer by day, ProdiG took up electronic music as a way to connect with others away from the computer screen. Though he describes some of the more technical aspects of music to be similar to engineering, it’s the connection to the crowd that allows him to hone a new and exciting skill. Reflecting on his set tonight, he described being “on cloud nine,” after a triumphant debut.
Cool and confident Ramda took to the booth next. Now based in Raleigh, they built their sound in the Medellín underground—industrial floor-shaking techno with extended slow-burn builds. As the room filled, the temperature on the dancefloor steadily climbed while Ramda’s infectious vibe spread through the room. They delivered a sizzling performance from start to finish, cementing their place as a rising star in the North Carolina scene.
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An artist shrouded in mystery, Kulture seized the energy built by Ramda and rocketed the sound to a new dimension. Hard-hitting and explosive, the crowd danced through a sea of bubbles, red light, and thick sound waves. Fusing deep tech, tech house, and techno, Kulture designs expansive sets that “wrap around you like a blanket,” before disappearing back into the shadows. Catch this artist when you get the chance; he prides himself on elusiveness.
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New York native Layton Giordani arrived right on time to perform an outstanding set. Entranced attendees pressed closer into the crimson haze in front of the stage as the “hype, hype, hype” (a sample that looped over and over through the speakers) continued to grow. Giordani’s status as one of techno’s elite was evident when his remix of Loofy’s ‘Last Night’ (with Anyma) began to play. A clear crowd favorite, the club echoed with myriad voices as everyone sang along. This performance marked one of the most powerful displays of attunement between artist and listener that I have seen. There was a cohesion, a symbiosis that heightened the desire to be fully present. People lost themselves in the music and the moment. At times, only a few phones were visible—a rare sight in today’s world of near-constant digital recording.
A physical swell of the crowd, an explosion of movement, and Giordani as conductor: masterfully shaping the atmosphere of the room with cutting-edge sound. This artist is one to watch, an enigmatic performer who is sure to impress. The vibrancy of the night ricocheted perfectly through the walls of the Fruit, the beloved warehouse space at the heart of Durham’s underground, building to a peak with Giordani’s commanding performance. ProdiG, Ramda, and Kulture all delivered impressive sets in their own right, showcasing their unique technical skills and contributing to a seamless progression of music that hit all the right notes.
