Jamie xx Superstars Mohawk

Left audibly steamrolled, all of the cool kids at the sold-out Gorilla v Bear showcase at Mohawk on Saturday were treated to a truly dominating DJ performance by Jamie xx, a modest Londoner seemingly on his way to superstardom.

Indie luminaries, including synth-pop classicists Lower Dens, breathy synth miminalists Tei Shi, Eighties-informed Kiwi budget synth act Yumi Zouma, and Toronto synth R&B duo Prince Innocence preceded his set. Austin’s Bop English, the excellent new band from White Denim’s James Petralli, also shined.

In the quickest changeover ever, a disco ball – his lone accessory – was installed for the headliner born Jamie Smith. Ten minutes later, earlier than his scheduled 10:50pm start, he was onstage. A superstar? You’d never think it by the looks of him, undistinguished and wearing the hipster uniform of all black everything. He hurried as if arriving late, acknowledging the mob on his way to the decks.

Quickly putting on Oliver Cheatham’s “Get Down Saturday Night,” Jamie took a winding, disorienting, informative road in. The boogie continued with the Fatback Band’s funky “Street Dance.” Finally, opening familiar doors for most, Idris Muhammad’s “Could Heaven Ever Be Like This” arrived. Basis for “Loud Places,” smash hit off the xx producer’s solo debut In Colour and starring his London trio’s guitarist Romy Madley Croft, it received crowd love and then some.

Jamie’s curls bounce with his subtle, metronomic nods, as with his cosmic thump to an extended reworking of Radiohead’s “Bloom.” After “Far Nearer,” he only looked up here and there, checking to make sure someone’s there. He didn’t avoid connection – unlike most attention-starved megastar DJs and their obnoxious pandering. He’s comfortable taking a proverbial step back to the music.

From his vinyl rack came Murphy Jax’s electric “It’s the Music.” Now slathered in liquored sweat, the crowd whipped into old-school danceteria mode, couples of all kinds trading porn tongue and vodka-flavored saliva. Transitioning to the concussive “The Rest is Noise,” the DJ casually sipped his chosen beverage from a red cup, as if taking a break from a conversation.

By In Colour’s “Sleep Sound,” hands were raised and strobe rings appeared. They illuminated the dark mass like miniature UFOs. “Gosh” slow rolled into a pounding drum, then charged back up, pulling the fever-pitched throng into a frenzy.

Summer standout “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times),” featuring Young Thug and Popcaan, dropped as the obvious closer, a dancehall-inflected Dre Skull-produced remix headlined by Assassin, Konshens, and Kranium. Perhaps underneath the noses of the unsuspecting, the producer premiered a booming remix of it, including grime heavyweight Skepta and some other unnamed grime MCs.

Jamie xx’s most underrated skill – live mixing – puts him on another plane. Spinning with a reductionist approach, he extricates himself from live performance as much as possible. He’s all substance.