SOHN @ Oxford Art Factory

England may not have made much ground in the FIFA World Cup, but its brand of R&B electronica is a whole different ball game, with players like James Blake, the xx and Sam Smith pummelling opposition on the musical field. Much like his comrades, Christopher Taylor’s production chops have proved A-grade, leaving fingerprints on the work of Lana Del Rey, Banks and Rhye. And although his Sohn persona was only birthed two years ago, Taylor is no stranger to the circuit, having previously garnered critical acclaim for his work as Trouble Over Tokyo (back when he also went by Toph Taylor).

So, it’s about time he made his way Down Under. Sohn is seated centre stage tonight, with the packed out Oxford Art Factory still catching breath after some passionate swaying to Stoney Roads DJs’ beat-driven set. Flanked on either side by sonic technicians armed with their own keys and sampler pads, Sohn stares down, cloaked in black and buried beneath a hood. The crowd is almost silent as ripples of sound start to hit all sides of the room. Right from the outset, it’s clear that Sohn’s voice is the backbone of his work. Riding on the back of thick, lush synth and a rumbling bass, the 4AD signee shows off his falsetto with ease, letting loose some of the melancholic cuts from his debut EP, The Wheel.

The night, however, isn’t just a showcase of sound, with Sohn’s light show complementing the tracks beat by beat. Shrouded in smoke and blazing colours, it almost seems a lifetime before the multi-instrumentalist finally addresses the crowd. “You lot alright?” he asks rather abruptly in a heavy cockney accent, possibly sensing the intense emotional assault that has just been inflicted. For a moment, everyone shakes off the feels and existential thinking spurred on at the end of ‘Oscillate’, regaining enough macho for a unanimous cheer. “This is my ecstatic face,” Sohn reassures us laconically, kicking up his air-of-mystery vibes about ten notches as he readjusts his hood.

He launches into cuts from his lauded album, Tremors, and ‘Bloodflows’ has the crowd at a standstill, lost in the “My love, my love, my love don’t love me” refrain. He croons out pop-tinged percussive number ‘Artifice’, which translates remarkably well without being accompanied by a full drum machine. The standout, though, is ‘Lights’, as Sohn’s mastery of soulful minimalism is spotlighted with – apart from his attire – very little to hide under. One thing’s for sure – Sohn won’t be able to hide for much longer.