Live Review: Dune, Client Liaison

The show opens with the marvellously madcap antics of Client Liaison. The duo, consisting of Harvey Miller and Monte Morgan, embrace all things retro with aplomb, from the turtlenecks of the mid-'60s to a positively fearsome '80s mullet. Their music follows suit, swinging merrily from disco to power ballad with nary a backward glance. For all their vintage trimmings however, Client Liaison are no parody band. Strong synthlines and distinctive vocals give their sound an aural continuity and, for their good work, the weeknight audience embraces them.

It's time for the main act, and the audience is taut with curiosity. Much-loved Melbourne singer Jade MacRae has adopted the moniker Dune for her new alternative-electronica sound and tonight's set promises to be something quite different from her previous soul and R&B work. From the moment she steps on stage in a bejewelled cowl, images of lightning and storm projected behind her, it's clear that she wants Dune to be an entirely new musical entity. The set kicks off with Alien, a track that features a fearsome bassline, complex synths and MacRae's astounding vocals. As Dune, MacRae is reaching for something epic here – the tracks are rich and powerful, with sweeping musicality and lashings of grandeur. Her vocal strength and virtuosity offer a power and depth that isn't often found in electronica-based music, and it sets Dune apart from many of her contemporaries. Bring Me The Night feels a little more like a ballad, tinged with soul and charming melancholia, while Shall We Dance features a positively pornographic bassline and wins the audience over with its gusto. A haunting cover of The Presets' Youth In Trouble gives the crowd a chance to relax in slightly more familiar territory without deviating from the Dune game plan. Dune's sound is distinctive: rhythmic, complex and abstract, anchored by MacRae's spectacular voice.

The single Shoestring is a strong closer, but so enthusiastic are the crowd's cheers that Dune steps back up for an encore, playing The Sea, a track with plenty of bass and with a slight R&B feel to it. MacRae has found something powerful and intriguing in this new work and she leaves the entire audience hoping that this is the first of many outings for Dune.