Show Review: Yoi Toki Single Release Party (feat. Macross 82-99) at the Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles

For a moment, as the pandemic lockdowns were easing up, it seemed like Los Angeles was poised to become the go-to city for IRL Vaporwave and Future Funk concerts. A number of different promoters and labels (including mine) tried to pick up where they left off pre-COVID plus a wave of new promoters started up regular DJ nights and began booking one-off gigs. In a city known for its car dependency, establishing a scene around niche internet music isn’t an easy task. But driving up to the Teragram Ballroom and seeing a line around the corner for Yoi Toki’s single release party with Macross 82-99 proved that it is possible. 

Yoi Toki started throwing their parties back in Spring 2022 with a couple dates in Brooklyn, before expanding to the West Coast with parties in Los Angeles and San Francisco later that summer. Over the past two years they have expanded to cities across the USA, and even Canada, building their brand and flexing their promotional muscles to draw hundreds of people to their events. This party at the Teragram Ballroom was no exception, with a diverse crowd who came ready to dance to some club-ready Future Funk. 

I arrived around 10pm and luckily found some free parking close to the venue. The Teragram Ballroom is just west of downtown, so it wasn’t as stressful as going to other venues near the Mad Max-esque industrial areas, gentrified “arts neighborhoods” or Downtown proper. As the venue finished cleaning up from their earlier show (a band called Moon Hooch, who I would’ve never guessed were an experimental saxophone dance band from their name), they began to usher the extensive line into the building. 

The entry foyer was flanked by two bar areas with an old pre-war vibe and live video feeds of the stage. There was plenty of accessible free water - an important thing for every venue to have - and another large bar inside the main hall which made it quick and easy to purchase drinks. Despite the low-key facade, by the time we were let into the hall the music was already bouncing with resident DJ Jak Syn starting off the night.

Even though Yoi Toki doesn’t go all-out with venue decorations, stage design and extracurricular activities (e.g. merch, video games, vendors, pop-up tattoo artists, etc.), their commitment to the music and high energy club atmosphere sets them apart. Their core DJ crew comes from DJing other genres of alternative club music (like synthwave, industrial and goth), so they know how to work a crowd and hand off the decks like pros. It’s an easygoing and familiar environment for concert-goers who aren’t used to going to bottle-poppin’ clubs or people that might be going to a dance music event for the first time. 

By the time the second DJ, Samuel Valentine, took the reins, the room was full of bodies but with plenty of space to move to the beat and form dance circles. (Side note: it seems pretty common for dance circles to form at all the Future Funk events I’ve been to. It’s usually a nice mix of B-boying, raver light shows, and awkward middle school dance moves. Pretty egalitarian to be honest and not pretentious or gatekeep-y). He kept the crowd moving, with his signature wide-brimmed hat flapping to the beat as he marched back and forth from the decks in time. There was a small hiccup when the sound cut out due to a dislodged cable [I found out who-dun-it but I’ll never tell], however after a quick fix, the music was back without any problems the rest of the night. 

As midnight approached, the crowd filled the room all the way back to the soundbooth and anticipation for Macross 82-99 and the surprise guest started building. When he finally took the stage, he was greeted with rapturous cheers from the audience and feted by his fellow DJs who had just spent the summer touring with him. Their camaraderie from criss-crossing the country together on tour was evident on stage and as Macross busted out some of his most beloved songs to start the set, the communal vibe spread to every person in the room. He played songs from throughout his catalog, from the early days of A Million Miles Away to recent tracks off his club-flavored EP 99 Style. 

Although Macross tends to play songs from throughout his discography, many of the tracks have been audibly reworked with harder hitting drums and EDM-style climaxes, tailoring his music to be more like tech-house than disco house. If you are a Future Funk DJ who has played on big sound systems, it makes sense that he's tweaked his classic songs to hit right in a big room (vs the bedroom, where most OG producers started) and Macross has done it right. The iconic melodies and basslines rang out over crisply chopped samples. He’s definitely tipping the scales toward making more mainstream “club” sounding music vs the melodic/dynamic city pop edits of his early days, but it’s right in line with his statement he made upon releasing his last EP 99 Style - see its Bandcamp description.

One of the highlights of the night, that really set off the Vaporheads in the crowd, was when Macross dropped an amped up version of "Better" by Saint Pepsi. He largely stuck to his own music and collaborations but his inclusion of this Future Funk classic really sealed the deal on the night - and it wasn’t even over yet! He also played bonafide classics from his own catalog like "Fun Tonight", which is one of those tracks you want to hear at EVERY Future Funk DJ night. Macross capped it off with the new collaborative single featuring Vantage and Engelwood, the party’s eponymous “Yoi Toki”. He ran it back at least 3 times as the crowd and VIPs flooded the stage to dance along in celebration. 

Spotted on stage during the chaos was one of his collaborators - and surprise guest DJ - Engelwood. With a big scraggly beard and curly blonde hair bouncing to the beat, he wasn’t immediately recognizable but when he stepped up to the decks to toast to the new song, it was clear he was gonna be finishing off the night. By this time the venue’s lighting guy had gone home, leaving a loop of technicolor chasers going for a decent chunk of the evening, but Engelwood upped the tempo and pushed the speakers even harder for his set. Plenty of stage-crashers remained on deck to party alongside Engelwood and it seemed the show was going to go all the way till its 2 AM time limit.

He towered over the decks and played a mix of original edits, souped-up 2000s favorites, and other pounding EDM-adjacent music that sort of flattened out the melodic qualities of the tunes. I’ll admit I was staying to catch his one song I am familiar with, but I was really missing the moving basslines and harmonic details of the other songs that were remixed/sampled. This set definitely had the most “drops” and accelerating climaxes that wrung out every last bit of energy from the remaining crowd. Sadly, the venue cut the show off a few minutes before 2 AM, just as Engelwood slid into his most popular song, and of course, the one I wanted to hear: “Crystal Dolphin”. It was unfortunate that the venue pulled such a rude stunt when it was clearly the final song and a short one at that! It was the one mark against the venue on what had been, to then, a successful drama-free night with a respectful audience. 

The Yoi Toki crew has had a massive year– from their successful tour this summer to expanding their regular nights to new cities; not to mention the new single! These pioneers of big room Future Funk (relative to the vapor scene in general), are bringing the genre to a wider audience and laying out a roadmap for other promoters in the community. The open nature of their events draws an eclectic audience of clubby kids, nostalgia hungry millennials, wallflowers, and otakus to celebrate Future Funk. I even spotted the legendary artist/designer Mizucat at the gig! If the Yoi Toki crew is putting on a party near you, I highly recommend you check it out - it’s a unique experience that’s welcoming for first-timers and experienced ravers/dancers alike. 

Written by Alyx P. Photos courtesy of Augnos Media