Reviewed on Thursday June 26
Walking through the dimly lit corridors of the Metro, the first thing you noticed was a sea of people scurrying to the stage. Sure enough, Hayden James captured the crowd from the very start with an eclectic mix of eye candy, made up of visual projections of blooming flowers and a kaleidoscopic light show. The audience moved in a gentle sway, gradually getting more pumped up with the aid of James’ infectious dance mixes, blended with disco and deep house. But nothing compared to the moment everyone went absolutely wild for ‘Permission To Love’, the track he mixed with Touch Sensitive.
Next up was Seattle electronic music duo Odesza. Making their first Australian visit, Clayton Knight and Harrison Mills delved straight into the mood of the night, melting the audience with their liquefying deep bass electronica. Coming off the back of a recent tour with RÜFÜS, the pair has only just entered the Australian psyche – later, Clayton told us, “Honestly, the crowd here have been amazing we were just generally surprised anyone had even heard of our name before.”
Headline duties fell to Bloc Party frontman Kele, whose solo career has been blooming ever since the release of his first LP The Boxer in 2010. Here, his beats escaped out of the speakers like hands of puppetry that made the entire dancefloor swing to his every musical command. Kele’s performance started with a low-lying bassline that ran through the floor and seeped into every body, as a sea of people began to bop and sway in time. The feeling was maintained throughout, as his waves of ear-happiness were enshrouded in blooms of curiosity and intimacy – reflecting both the style and personality of the man behind the decks.
