Reviewed on Saturday November 29 (photo by Ashley Mar)
The brainchild of record label Yes Please and management agency Astral People, OutsideIn is carving out a solid niche in Sydney’s summer festival scene. Wrapping up for a third consecutive year, this boutique event continues to deliver good tunes and good vibes.
Unlike previous instalments, the festival didn’t sell out this year, perhaps due to being scheduled on the same day as Stereosonic. That being said, the absence of long bar queues and fluoro singlets made OutsideIn a pretty refreshing alternative. And with a venue upsize to the University of Sydney’s Manning House, there was plenty of room to pull shapes and soak up the sun.
As usual, the carefully curated lineup featured a range of local and international producers. LA hip hop group The Pharcyde were one of the key headliners, busting out a closing set rich with ’90s nostalgia and crowd interaction (lemme hear ya say ohhhh shit!). Late Nite Tuff Guy, the godfather of Australian techno as he’s often called, wrapped up on an equally sharp note, spinning some highly danceable and hard-edged disco.
On the whole, it was hard to fault anything happening at the Courtyard Stage, which was a seductive dance hub with a killer energy. New York producer Brenmar steered through the early afternoon with a fusion of pop and R&B. If there was a single standout, Chicago house legend Roy Davis, Jr. powered through with predictable ease, pumping out an industrial sound that managed to be soulful and uplifting at the same time. Eclectic Melburnian Tornado Wallace also played an enjoyably diverse set, feeling a bit like the remixed theme song of an ’80s cop show.
On the subtler side of things, electronica trio Seekae received a lot of hometown love and San Francisco producer Giraffage rolled out some laidback R&B remixes on the ‘ambient’ stage. With lush audio-visual projections, this was a welcome change of pace – extra points for Giraffage’s sequence of adorable animals.
A commitment to booking interesting artists, a great crowd and a relaxed atmosphere is what has consistently distinguished OutsideIn from other festivals. It’s the more intimate and experimental counterpoint to the generic club music and big beat producers customary to the likes of Stereosonic and Future Music Festival.
