Right after the sun went down over the Coachella festival on Friday, Madeon took the stage. What happened right after was one of the most impressive musical performances I’ve ever seen in my life. All modern EDM performances have a visual element to them. Ever since Daft Punk came out in a pyramid, you can’t have a show without something to look at. Madeon took it to a place I personally have not seen before. His visual elements were so spectacular I found myself in a trance watching it unfold.
Madeon was mostly in the dark for the majority of the set. This was intentional because they used his silhouette as a part of the overall graphics. He would be strategically placed on screen so that it would line up with the animations. For instance in one part of the set there were multiple dark silhouette versions of him on the screen, and the live version fit right in alongside them. Even towards the end, Madeon was lifted up on a platform with black and white animations playing all around him with his body being perfectly positioned in the center of them. I know my descriptions won’t do them any justice, but it was really fascinating to see.
Using the multi-camera set up they had, the visuals would cut rapidly between the cameras that were briefly zooming in and out to create a sense of being sucked in and thrown away from the stage. It was an interesting way to consistently keep the energy alive in the show. It helped to build the suspense towards the drops or other big moments. The cuts were so quick at times, I almost felt like I was seeing a music video unfold in front of me rather than an actual live performance. Between the camera movements and the graphics themselves, the combination of the two worked so perfectly to create a hell of a performance.
Madeon spoke a couple times throughout the performance. It was really sweet because he sounded so genuinely happy to be performing there. He should be so proud of himself because he has created a one of a kind live show here. The live moments with his graphics look like they could be frames in blockbuster movies, but they’re really just unfolding right before your eyes. Between his intense and captivating music and stunning visuals, Madeon’s performance was a true highlight of the weekend.
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