Zeds Dead returned to Los Angeles on the Return To The Spectrum Of Intergalactic Happiness Tour and dominated the crowd at the Hollywood Palladium.
This year has been another monumental one for Zeds Dead. The Canadian duo has continued to reign supreme at the top of the bass scene with jaw-dropping performances at major festivals and their curated events, but there was something else that was truly special from their minds: a new album. Return To The Spectrum Of Intergalactic Happiness arrived in style in March with plenty of depth and a stunning conceptual film, giving fans even more reason to catch them on the album tour.
That album tour would kick off that same month, taking Zeds Dead around the East Coast before eventually heading West to close it out in Los Angeles with a two-night run at the Hollywood Palladium. While I had been blessed with their surprise appearance at Coachella’s Do LaB stage in April, I knew I needed to be there to experience the tracks on this album in a live setting.
Hollywood Palladium has hosted many artists I’ve loved over the years, and I was as excited as ever to add Zeds Dead to the list of acts I’ve caught at the venue. We arrived early on Friday, and the energy in the air was already palpable as hundreds of hungry bass lovers sat outside the venue, connecting with friends and getting in line for security.
Once inside, we rushed over to the stage to catch HerShe, who was in the midst of opening the show in style.
HerShe was a great fit to set the stage for what would come. She threw down some wicked tracks ranging from dubstep to UKG, and she flexed her beatboxing skills during a live transition for her track “Hit Maker” and more. The crowd swelled during her set, which led straight into EATER’s. This rising bass artist continued to bring the vibes by layering in his originals with a hearty dose of edits that helped keep the crowd moving drop after drop.
The minutes ticked away until Zeds Dead took the stage, but Truth needed to deliver an onslaught of deep dubstep basslines for the crowd to hear. A range of 140 tunes mixed with some energetic moments made for the perfect palate cleanser before the ride that everyone was about to embark on.
The venue went dark, and “Light” began to play. Zeds Dead appeared behind the decks, welcoming everyone into the audiovisual journey.
Zed Dead ran the crowd through a dose of dubstep, breaks, and even some techno in the early moments of their set, playing their remix of “California Love” and an edit of “California Dreamin’” for added effect. Backed by eye-popping visuals, standout tunes like “Hold My Hand,” “Heartbeat,” “Fall Away,” “Sweet Memories,” and a soul-stirring extended version of “One Of These Mornings” put the album’s magic on full display.
Of course, new tracks and edits weren’t the only ones that Zeds Dead played as part of the Return To The Spectrum Of Intergalactic Happiness experience. Those in attendance that night were treated to curated tunes like Combine & MYTHM’s “Old School” along with classics like “Rude Boy,” “Lost You,” their “God Loves Ugly” remix, and “Collapse.” The latter arrived after the duo played their signature remix of “Pure Imagination” mixed with John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
I already loved Return To The Spectrum Of Intergalactic Happiness, so seeing it live was a dream come true.
Every time I catch Zeds Dead play, I’m reminded why I have such a great experience—their ability to incorporate multiple genres into their sets is unlike that of many artists in the scene today. How they transition seamlessly from dubstep to drum and bass to house and more adds so much more depth to the unraveling story and allows them to control the crowd’s energy. That’s been noticeable in the past, but it was even more prominent that night in Los Angeles, reinforcing the notion that you can’t miss this duo when they head to a city near you.
