Got midterms? Need to relax? No fear, Giraffage is here.


David Wang | Daily Trojan

David Wang | Daily Trojan

Giraffage, born Charlie Yin, is an EDM producer based in San Francisco and signed to Fool’s Gold Records. His newest EP No Reason was released in November of 2014, and consists of only 5 songs. But those 5 songs are no “Fool’s Gold.” It’s the real stuff. His musical style emits a sort of psychedelic, fantasy feeling of both calm and excitement at the same time. This past weekend at the El Rey Theatre was an emotional one as Giraffage ended his No Reason North America tour with a sold-out show.

Los Angeles DJs starRo and Spazzkid opened with atmospheric, ambient house music, building up energy and setting the stage for what was to come. Giraffage casually made his way up the aisles of the audience to follow Spazzkid’s invigorating performance. At the sound of the roaring auditorium, Giraffage began his one hour set. He dropped his most popular hits, including “Tell Me” (a personal favorite) and some of his most unorthodox remixes such as Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out.” And if anybody can pull off a remix of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA,” Giraffage is the man.

He gave shout-outs throughout the show to the different DJs’ songs he was remixing. It was a nice act of acknowledgement, and garnered cheers for each of the pieces he dropped. This included a shout-out to his good friend Porter Robinson when he played “Lionhearted.” In fact, the show echoed his opening on the Porter Robinson “Worlds” tour. Porter Robinson’s unconventional show with live instruments, storytelling and jaw-dropping visuals definitely helped influence Giraffage to set himself apart from other DJs.

Instead of the the heavy bass drops everyone is uses to in EDM, Giraffage’s drops consist of calm, smooth tones. One of his first opening songs from No Reason features the sound of synthesized water droplets and fluid piano tones. What stood out in particular was his remix of R. Kelly’s “Ignition,” combining his dreampop style with rap. He also managed to turn the all-so-popular iPhone default ringtone into a piece very much enjoyed by his fans.

Around the auditorium, fans rocked slowly back and forth, jumped up and down and stood in a complete trance state enjoying his music. It was an incredible ending to an incredible tour, but it just marks the beginning of a brilliant career.

David Wang | Daily Trojan

David Wang | Daily Trojan

David Wang | Daily Trojan

David Wang | Daily Trojan

David Wang | Daily Trojan

David Wang | Daily Trojan