Live Review: Highasakite, Japanese Wallpaper

Fresh off the back of being triple j’s Unearthed High winner of last year and having a Hottest 100-placed track, Japanese Wallpaper was very grateful to be performing alongside his Laneway buddies this evening.

Being new to the touring circuit, he seemed a little shy on stage and put most of his energy into concentrating on his various electronic devices to create his airy brand of electronic music. His half-hour set consisted of remixes, a cover, and some originals, choosing to close with Between Friends.

Hailing from Norway, Highasakite were also quite timid and humble, choosing to let their music do the talking as they assembled one by one on stage and open with Lover, Where Do You Live?. There were few hardcore fans about; many people seemed to turn up because they knew their hits, but much like this reviewer were pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of their live show.

Ingrid Helene Håvik’s robust vocals teamed with multiple layers of synths, often tribal-like drums and vocal harmonies that occasionally became chants. The five-piece created such as intensely textured soundscape; coupled with the stage lighting, it became quite a spiritual scene.

Much to the delight of the audience, Darth Vader was played mid-set, and hit Since Last Wednesday was performed second last, with a lesser-known song closing the set. It was a short but sweet hour set, but they seemed to sway quite a few fans as many called for an encore. They swiftly returned to the stage and treated us to a song that they claimed to have never included in a show before, leaving us satisfied enough to not mind trudging back out into the rainy night.