Yaeji makes music for all times. The DJ/producer/visual artist/fashion designer creates chill, expansive beats that live in a liminal space. It's English and Korean. House and hip hop. ASMR and a banger. She's good for revving up, as Sophia Stephens wrote for The Stranger, but also for cooling off after a night that went harder than expected. I frequently go back to her tracks. Yaeji's music is great for disassociating but not so much that I forget where I'm at or who I am or the shit I've got to do.
Her early set on Friday was a quick hustle through her popular tracks, but the level of teenage debauchery that went down in the crowd during that time was impressive.
Five (what appeared to be) teen girls next to me (some with faces full of braces) swallowed "Zipzicles" (basically refillable Otter Pops) filled with vodka while Yaeji cooly sang "내가 어제 뭘 했는지 기억이 안나는 이유 (그게아니야, 그게아니야) / Bringing out the colors in me / I feel so fine." Yaeji bit her tongue and rolled her hips while the girl to my left screamed at her friend, "NO! NO! NO! GIRL! RETAKE THAT SHIT! DON'T POST THAT ON YOUR STORY! I LOOK FUCKING WHACK, N*GGA!" The girl was very white. Then a security guard drenched the crowd with a hose, despite it being a chill 68 degrees. "What the fuck!?" Another teen yelled. "It's not even hot, man!" Then she wiped her face on my shirt and shouted "THIS ISN'T BUMBERSHOOT, DUDE!" at the guard who sprayed the audience. Then she got high.
Yaeji was unbothered by the audience gabbing through her set. She just body rolled and smirked while her relaxed beats ushered in this year's block party. We weren't worthy.
For uniterruped Yaeji, check out this excellent set at the Boiler Room:
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