Madeon at Ultra 2012: a 17 year-old prodigy who killed it in a sport coatUltra 2012 Madeon 9

Madeon at Ultra 2012: a 17 year-old prodigy who killed it in a sport coat

The Madeon who rocked the UMF Korea stage today — and we mean rocked it — was a very different Madeon from the one we saw at Webster Hall late last year. At his American debut in November, The French prodigy largely stuck to his comfort zone, playing electro-tinged nu-disco tracks and house classics. But his first-ever Ultra set offered not only a more diverse track selection, but a true sense of narrative and absolutely flawless mixing. It’s clear that Madeon is a student of the EDM world… and let’s just say he did his homework. Simply put, he NAILED it with this set.

Madeon at Ultra 2012: a 17 year-old prodigy who killed it in a sport coatUltra 2012 Madeon 1

We were impressed to hear Madeon add some harder electro beats to his track selection; he played the Zedd remix of Skrillex’s “Breakn’ A Sweat” right before “Feel So Close,” and it all just seemed to work. He also showed an amazing ability to tailor current releases to his unique style: he obviously didn’t write the Knocks’ “Dancing with the DJ” or the Skrillex/Kaskade collab “Lick It,” but he easily could have.

Madeon at Ultra 2012: a 17 year-old prodigy who killed it in a sport coatUltra 2012 Madeon 7

Given the energy of Madeon’s set, the crowd was, of course, going wild. But the high point came with the one-two punch of “Icarus” and his remix of “Raise Your Weapon.” Small changes — adding a few extra seconds before the euphoric drop of “Icarus,” for instance — made a huge difference, and the crowd lost its collective shit. It was a goosebumps-inducing moment that you really had to be there for to appreciate. Well played, Madeon; just when we thought we couldn’t love you any more, you go and change our lives with a 45-minute DJ set.

Madeon at Ultra 2012: a 17 year-old prodigy who killed it in a sport coatUltra 2012 Madeon 2

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