As EDM plotted its rapid expansion into the public eye over the past few years, one thing held true for almost all midrange and top tier artists – the stage setups kept getting nuttier. Given that it was primarily the bass-heavy ruckus of brostep and the driving midrange of electrohouse that really turned electronic music into such a commercial powerhouse, it’s unsurprising that the visual rigs would aim to complement the dizzying flash of the tracks. This is usually done using an array of LEDs and lasers that could end up as much of a draw for attendees as the music itself. This has, unfortunately, led to many visual accompaniments (those of deadmau5 and Excision being chief offenders) that aim for consistent overstimulation rather than any real cohesion. At Jonathan Gooch’s, aka Feed Me’s, excellent performance at House of Blues last Thursday, he soundly bucked that trend, providing a visual experience that, while often overpowering, kept a distinct artistic integrity. Throwing down an extensive, enthralling set, Gooch showed that you can keep an audience raging while getting them to think.

Preceding artist Delta Heavy opened things up in an impressive fashion. Playing an opening set for a world-class DJ is a balancing act that few truly appreciate. Your job is to get the audience warmed up and in a genre-specific frame of mind without stepping on the toes of the main act. Pulling this off flawlessly, DH played a consistently exciting mix of trap, drum and bass, and electrohouse. He shifted genres consistently and smoothly, working his own tracks in with crowd-pleasers from DJ Snake and Nero. He paced himself well too, giving the crowd extensive builds to catch their breath before coming in with another enormous drop.

Taking the stage around 10:15, Gooch brought his “Teeth” stage rig to life. An assembly of LED screens that filled the field of vision with the mischievous grin of his mascot (also named Feed Me), the structure was an artful monstrosity. Centering the visuals around the recurring motif of stars and nebulas, each song had an imaginative, often psychedelic but always playful visual accompaniment (all designed by Gooch himself) that highlighted the intricacies of the track without overshadowing it.  Sure, there were moments when he resorted to frenzied color flashing or putting lyrics on screen, the overdone staples of EDM shows, but these were generally reserved for key pump up moments and drops of the big hits and never felt like a lazy trick. This was a visual presentation tailored to evoke emotion while providing consistent stimulation, and it did its job well.  It was simultaneously one of the most technologically and artistically impressive light shows I’ve seen in years, providing a sense of thematic cohesion that you just don’t find at this sort of show anymore.

Beyond the spectacular visual elements, Gooch’s set was incredibly well assembled, highlighting his recent material while giving fans the tracks they came for. The first half of the show was almost entirely devoid of hits, instead focusing on his new EP Feed Me’s Psychedelic Journey and other of his deep cuts with similar trippy vibes. This was definitely the more introspective part of the show, focusing on extended riffs and more out-there sounds than a big-name electrohouse artist would normally use. With a lesser artist this could have lost the crowd’s attention, but Gooch kept a constant energy and peppered in enough powerful drops to keep everyone dancing.

The tone of the set changed at about the halfway point (which was confusingly punctuated by the house lights coming up briefly). Gooch serviced fans well, spinning hits such as “One Click Headshot,” “Thumbs Up” and his excellent Crystal Fighters collaboration “Love is All I Got.” Everything then turned into a bit of a ragefest- these were the bangers that most people showed up for after all- but Gooch’s smooth transitions and carefully executed builds brought things a step above your average EDM show. Finishing on an epic drum and bass remix of his hardcore-influenced track “Trapdoor,” he left the audience sweaty and grinning.

Gooch’s recent output may not have the same impact on the scene as, say, Porter Robinson’s recent genre-defying output, but his intelligent sound and visual design show that there’s still a lot of life left in traditional EDM sets. The deft audio-visual mix and thematic progression made this less like an everyday DJ set and more something of a musical journey. Gooch has spoken extensively about his issues with the mainstream approach to deejaying and his reluctance to continue with it, but this set made it clear that he’s instead decided to tailor things around his personal ambitions. My god are audiences better off for it.