Reviewed on Friday May 29 (photo by Daniel Boud)
Flume’s remix of Hermitude rang out below the majestic sails of the Sydney Opera House, a cool wind rolled in off the harbour beyond, the lights of ferries getting into the Vivid spirit illuminated the waves, and I thought to myself, “This is truly the best city in the world.”
At ten years old, most kids are precocious, slightly irritating and very loud. Celebrating a decade of producing class acts for the Australian music scene, Future Classic was definitely the latter, but otherwise professional and impressive. With a backdrop like that gifted to it by the Opera House, the Sydney-based record label might have a had a running start, but that didn’t stop it from putting together one of the best nights of electronic music in recent memory.
Fresh off the back of dropping his first new material in a while, Flume returned to the venue showcased in the ‘Some Minds’ video for what was nothing short of a glorious homecoming. Always a big-ticket item in Australia, Flume has cracked the big leagues in the States and beyond in the meantime. Overseas jaunts and time on the festival circuit have transformed him into a veritable international superstar with a show to match. Superb sound (especially given the outdoor environs) breathed new life into classics like ‘On Top’ and ‘Holdin On’ while an extraordinarily receptive audience reacted appropriately to the appearance of Miike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt, singing on the new, excellent single, and Collarbones lending his pipes to a fresh remix.
As much as Flume has now achieved living legend status among the Future Classic stable, his roster-mates are nothing to sneeze at, either. The Sydney theme extended to impressive performances from Hayden James, Seekae and Flight Facilities. Without the hooks that punctuate Flume’s or Flight Facilities’ work to capture the imagination, Seekae played a solid set, more free-flowing when the vocals were forfeited for instrumental experimentation.
Bringing out Owl Eyes and The Presets’ Julian Hamilton on keys for a particularly rousing ‘Heart Attack’, Flight Facilities proved how well they’ve learned to translate a generally mellow debut into an eminently danceable live show. The Opera House rarely plays host to concerts this loud or sees punters like this, but FCX was a masterclass in mini-festival management as we bounced in unison to Flume in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge. Hyperparadise indeed.
