BY TAYLOR GALGANO//
Lost Frequencies is performing at the 9:30 Club tonight. If you live under a rock and don’t follow house music, Lost Frequencies is a Belgian House DJ who became popular after releasing his hit single “Are You with Me” in 2014 on Soundcloud. His real name is Felix De Laet, but his stage name dates back to the beginning of his DJ career, when he first started making remixes out of old songs that he referred to as ‘lost frequences.’ “Are You with Me” was #1 on the charts in Belgium first, and then hit the top of the charts in Australia, Austria, and several other countries in Europe. He was also the first Belgian artist ever to hit the #1 spot in the UK.
He released his first studio album, titled ‘Less is More,’ in October of 2016. The album included many of his most recent bangers, including “Reality,” “Beautiful Life,” and a remix of ‘What is Love’ by Haddaway, called “What is Love 2016.” After releasing his album, he went on a North American tour with the Chainsmokers in 2017, leading to newfound fandom in the United States. It was during this tour that I saw Lost Frequencies for the first time and was blown away. When I saw him, he was actually playing without the Chainsmokers, and was guest DJing at a club by himself (for a mere 20 bucks!). The performance was extremely lowkey, so I was about 3 feet away from him as he mixed for the entire show — there were maybe 20 people there in total. Even so, he was one of the best live DJs I’ve ever seen, mixing most of ‘Less is More’ into a completely unique and unheard set.
I got the opportunity to see Lost Frequencies again while studying abroad in Paris last year, when he was performing just outside the city at a venue called La Clairiere. Watching him DJ in Paris was a completely different experience than his performance at a club in DC, as the Paris show had a huge audience and was at a much trendier venue. La Clairiere is completely outdoors and gives off the vibe that you’re seeing a concert in the middle of the woods, with string lights and giant leaf arches above you. The energy was much more intense during this show, and I found his set to be stronger than when I had seen him more intimately in DC.
After seeing Lost Frequencies twice, I’m excited to see him again in DC. It will definitely be different than seeing him at the DC club with only 20 other audience members or in the woods outside of Paris, but I’m excited for the energy that will ensue from the 9:30 Club venue.
I’ve also never been to 9:30 Club because most DJs usually go to Echostage when performing in the DMV, so it will be interesting to see a new place.