Live Review: Kaytranada, STwo, Lou Phelps, Maribelle

24 October 2016 | 1:51 pm | Michael Prebeg

"Flume remixes make the crowd go wild."

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There's no doubt that Maribelle adds value to tonight's line-up. Her strong and effortless soulful vocals combine perfectly with a blend of R&B-infused electro-pop. Maribelle's performance of a Carmada song she features on, On Fire, is just that. Every track she shares from her debut EP Overtake is an undeniable hit. A cheeky cover of Ginuwine's Pony heats up the dancefloor and Maribelle demonstrates some impressive body rolls. The dancing continues until the very end with her latest single Shout, which boasts tantalising, synth-heavy production and the catchiest hooks around.

"You guys ready to turn on?" shouts Lou Phelps. He jumps onto the decks and mixes up some serious party vibes before his older brother (Kaytranada) arrives. He knows just what the crowd wants to hear tonight and combines popular funk, disco, rap and hip-hop anthems to create plenty of hands in the air moments. He lets us know that he's also a rapper and then picks up the microphone to serve up a few impressive verses during the A$AP Ferg track Shabba. Phelps gives us a taste of a new song, which is slated as his next single, and it's full of bouncy rhythms with a Caribbean flavour.

French producer STwo also has a connection with tonight's headliner (they share the same manager). His set starts slow then progressively becomes a bit harder until he ultimately drops a few epic club bangers. Our eyes fixate on the visuals that feature repetitive, animated, Disclosure-like outline sketches of faces, cigarettes and swivelling bottles. He makes smooth transitions from French house to hip hop and some Flume remixes make the crowd go wild.

The clock strikes midnight and Kaytranada begins. An introductory track that features "Welcome to my club" lyrics proves fitting. He absolutely dominates the room with groovy bass lines and super-chilled vibes. Kaytranada immediately dives into tracks from his debut album beginning with his AlunaGeorge and Goldlink collaboration, Together.

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Visually alluring graphics utilise multiple all-seeing eyes that stare back at us as we become hypnotised and dance uncontrollably. Kaytranada's ridiculously funky tunes and popular remixes - including Rihanna's Kiss It Better and his re-imagination of Janet Jackson's If - are paired with nostalgic '90s video clips featuring tropical sunsets, body builders and even cats. While Kaytranada doesn't interact with the crowd very much, it's clear that he puts all of his energy into this continuous genre-defying mix of cohesive rhythms. His refreshing sound gives us a rush of excitement and energy and we feel like we could boogie all night. The official afterparty beckons.