It’s no secret that becoming a technology-dependent society has had an unprecedented impact on our social spheres, creating a generation predominantly socialised into the real world not by feasible connection with peers, but rather by a screen and the digital landscapes waiting to be discovered within. Finding our crowd has never been easier with an endless array of online communities and means of connecting with like-minded people. But where is the line drawn between connection with the device and those hiding within?
This is a concept not at all foreign to 26-year-old Nina Wilson, or Ninajirachi by stage name, who has risen through the ranks of the underground to become the hottest name on the EDM scene. She’s set on exploring the intimacy we share with devices, doing so on her debut album I Love My Computer with introspective tracks like ‘Fuck My Computer’ and ‘iPod Touch’ that offer lyrics such as "I wanna fuck my computer, 'cause no one in the world knows me better". The twelve-track project continues to extend its outreach as we speak, despite being released last summer.
Recently, Wilson began to breathe life into pixels as she embarked on her first tour of the UK, seeing the critically acclaimed musician hit the road in support of her newly released project, stopping at Manchester towards the end of March. The show at Gorilla pulled an impressively sold-out crowd, with 550 fans from across the north turning up ready to dive into one of the high-energy, sweat-drenched sets that Wilson has become known for.
The party started long before her set, though, with an aggressive hurl into the night by mainstay of Australia’s underground Laces, who quickly set the tone of the night by offering a mixed bag of ethereal tracks, varying in style from hardstyle to softer-hitting. Shortly after, Liverpool-born Kavari took over the decks with a set that was incomparable to anything else, and used both the light and sound system for every inch of their worth.
After their set of transgressive bangers came to a halt with a graceful departure from the stage, a short technical issue ensued which saw venue staff scramble, but the crowd refused to let it dampen their excitement, and all anxieties were shortly washed away when the lights dropped and darkness ebbed over the crowd, who by now had been chanting "oh, Ninajirachi!" in a very welcomingly Mancunian manner for what felt like a lifetime.
Credit: Frankie Austick @ The Mancunion
An on-screen presentation of visuals uniquely tailored for each city saw "Manchester" boldly emblazoned in white colouring across the huge screen standing behind the decks, which sent the crowd into a total frenzy. Clearly, this had been the day most had been counting down to since the tour was announced back in January, clear in their feral reaction to set opener ‘London Song’ — a wholesome choice for a tour which will finally see her get to visit the city she lyrically entails having never visited before.
Energy pulsated around all corners of the venue throughout the set, with Wilson causing what could likely be considered as mass hysteria as she paced through her set of razor-sharp tracks. The eager-eyed wanderers of the night stood in front of her, spanning all ages, crossing paths in an exchange of sweat, love and ecstasy, beckoned by the call of her 2010s-respecting blend of EDM and an excited declaration of "my name is Ninajirachi, and this is my first time in your city!".
Unique to most gigs, this was a rare case which saw the crowd’s energy grow and grow as the night went on, as though there was a whirlwind of kinetic energy charging each body in the room. There was a feeling of sheer ecstasy in the air from the get-go, so thick it was almost tangible. It seemed the capacity guidance for Gorilla had been filled to the absolute max, with feet frantically trying to find a space in the crowd that wasn’t on the steps up to the balcony. The stage-facing bar was rendered completely inaccessible by bodies lined like sardines to both sides of the arching roof. Yet, despite the venue bursting at the seams, there was no sign of a dampened smile due to a lack of a clear view.
Credit: Frankie Austick @ The Mancunion
Those in the crowd belong to a subculture of digitally raised, digitally dependent yet digitally emancipated individuals: those who are hyperaware of the relationship they have with their screens, and capitalise on it by using all of the tools available rather than taking it for granted. One audience member even brought a Lenovo Think Pad to record the set with, raising it during ‘Fuck My Computer’ — a fitting act for a crowd so unapologetically proud of the fact they're chronically online. (I mean, aren't we all? But just unwilling to embrace it as part of our identity?).
Wilson found herself having the crowd quite literally at her fingertips as she beckoned mosh pits to open from behind the decks — the crowd’s participation did not fail to deliver. Wilson proved that energy is universal; no matter what genre, what sound, what meaning or reason.
Slices from across her discography were offered throughout the night, including collaborations with underscores and Frost Children, with the best of all being an encore offering of an unreleased remix of ROSALÍA’s recent hit 'Berghain'. It was clear that Wilson was genuinely in awe of the energy in the room, offering constant call-outs of gratitude: her ability to command the attention of the room while also losing herself in dance and happy jumps was a true sight to behold. The energy was entirely infectious, with the number of fans unafraid to throw their arms in the air growing throughout the set, leading to more mosh pits opening for several songs towards the set’s conclusion. “I can’t believe the energy in this room - thank you so much!”, she declared as the set came to an end.
Credit: Frankie Austick @ The Mancunion
Ninajirachi's trajectory from here will be interesting to watch, with huge slots at Coachella and Primavera Sound lined up as well as a US tour — all of which are set to be stepping stones on her climb into the mainstream as she finds connection with digital darlings and the internet-infatuated across the globe. Her sound may be intense to the average pop-familiar consumer, but there’s a familiarity to her output that makes it akin to the EDM tracks that made their way onto the charts in the 2010s.
Gorilla itself has managed to cusp a range of artists that have gone on to perform on much bigger stages in the city within small amounts of time — Slayyyter, Rebecca Black and Fcukers to name a few — and if Wilson maintains this standard, the momentum will see her quite rightly join that list. Her set was a fitting contribution to the diverse array of musical styles Manchester nourishes with its renowned live music circuit, and it can only be hoped that this immersive experience of a show was the first time of many that our city will get to relish in the artistry of such a talented artist.
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