The mood was set to a sexy vibe by Mark Kloud and Perceptor's back-to-back opening set at Soundlab on April 19, for a show put on by MNM Presents.  Bass with air of dream-like qualities, it was a relatively mellow warm up.  Tiny neon green dots of light moved across the floor like lightening bugs, crawling then converging and exploding like a firework in a repetitive patterned sequence.  The venue slowly filled until there was hardly room to move freely as everyone awaited impatiently for Los Angeles native Jennifer Lee to take the stage, known by her DJ moniker, TOKiMONSTA.  

Her set was beautifully executed and the room became quite in tune with her sounds.  By perfectly blending future bass, electronic, and hip-hop elements the crowd never wavered.  It would be untrue to say that female DJs do not succeed in the EDM scene, however, it is apparent that a majority of well-known DJs are men.  Watching TOKiMONSTA flawlessly break the unspoken gender barrier was refreshing to see.  It was clear that as she performed, her personality shone through her track selection and transitions and her femininity was neither a factor nor a concern during her set.  One tune that stuck with me was a remix of "Bass" by A$AP Rocky.  From what I could tell the remix was along the same BPM as the original track which fit perfectly with the rest of her set.  Mid-way through her performance was a piano interlude.  For those aware that her musical background included playing piano, this was an impressive move on her part.  For those that did not, maybe it was unexpectedly pleasant.  This became clear when the group on the small dance floor at Soundlab slowed down and became mesmerized, waiting to see what she was going to do next.  At the end of the ditty, the room applauded and TOKiMONSTA clapped along joyfully and smiled widely at the audience.

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