Live Review: Listen Out

Perth Listen Out 2016 was madness truly let out of the bottle. With a multitude of stages strewn across Joondalup’s HBF Arena, the festival was almost impossible to manoeuvre around when the festival got heated and the big guns came out. With a weather forecast demanding rain, the weather was pleasingly defiant – remaining sunny and clear throughout the day, making way for an enjoyable Sunday of a long weekend.

The first acts to prove their worth at the festival were Sui Zhen and Tobacco Rat on both the Atari Stage and 909 stages. Tobacco Rat smashed out some retro-esque electronica reminiscent of an explosive soundtrack to an '80s arcade game, which some of the early punters enjoyed. Sui Zhen smashed out something delightful and fun, sprinkling the crowd with unique indie-pop and easily matching the carefree aesthetic of the warm afternoon weather.

The appearance of JOY. markedly set off a yearning for an appearance of What So Not, a DJ she collaborated with for the track Lone. However she ruled the set with ease on her own, with much of the crowd already sinking their teeth into her tunes. Probably the biggest standout feature of her performance was her vocals. Lilting and classy, JOY. would then used her voice to unleash a heady vocal torrent upon the crowd. Her set was topped off with Lone, throwing the crowd into overdrive.

Willow Beats exuded an ethereal demeanour with light, tightly produced electronic production and classy vocals. The electronic dynamic duo kept the stage warm, with the beats coming from Narayana Johnson the highest calibre of fresh and the vocals of Kalyani Mumtaz out of this world. The vocals of Mumtaz were possibly a standout feature of their set, guiding the punters into a zone of siren song-like bliss.

For those who wanted a hefty slice of soul and blues, Ngaiire was certainly the act to watch at this festival. Adding a little bit of spice to the line-up, she bounced between songs in a torrent of explosive vocals and swinging harmonies. A highlight of her set was when House On A Rock was belted out — a perfect marriage between electronica and soul.

Possibly one of the most hyped-up acts of the fest was Tash Sultana, and she certainly delivered with her talent for intricate pedalwork and loops. Her presence onstage proved her versatility as a performer. Clad in John Lennon Ray-Bans, torn jeans and a black jacket, Sultana was cool as a cucumber. Be it performing as a busker on the streets of Melbourne, her bedroom and even headline shows in Germany, none of that mattered; her passion for her musical craft was what gave the songs their emotional punch. Her pan-flute solo was also on point, giving off some classy South American vibes.

Yung Lean lit up the stage with some slow-styled wordsmithery. Possessing a unique rap style, the hip hop Swede managed to let rip some pleasing hip hop beats for the late afternoon. Smashing out tracks like Kyoto and Afghanistan, the young rapper definitely left a mark on those who attended.

Funky vibes were had with Anderson .Paak, and at this point the crowd had grown considerably in size. Feeling like a mass hip-hop worship session, it felt mesmerising to see such a huge glut of people appreciate top-notch hip hop. For his first time being out to WA, the rap artist was definitely well received.

Slumberjack proved a worthy replacement for grime artist Stormzy, giving the crowd a more than succinct amount of acidic trap music. With the music mystically making some members of the crowd contort their limbs in unspeakable ways, the electronic producers dealt out a workout. Think Zumba, but on crack.

If you wanted to feel like you were in Renaissance Italy and/or living during the bubonic plague, Claptone's costume choice (notably the mask) would have confused him for a bubonic plague doctor. Although the DJ/producer didn’t possess medicinal knowledge, hopefully his sick beats were a sufficient ailment for some members of the crowd.

A whole dish of cray was offered up during A$AP Ferg’s set – exploding with an angry rap game, A$AP Ferg MC-ed hard. A skilled rapper as well as a lyricist, the punters of Listen Out definitely found the rapper's words to be profound (if the crowd reactions were anything to go by), or simply lusciously dank.

Travis Scott also kept up a strong rap game, with an eloquent production simmering underneath his lyrics and many different drunken variations of the Dougie emerging from the crowd. Belting out tracks like Antidote and Uber Everywhere, Scott’s hip hop was oddly soothing, rippling and flowed nicely over the punters' ears; something not often felt with hip hop.

The festival came to a satisfying close with Rufus spreading their sweet, sweet electronic gospel to the Listen Out crowd. Smooth and crisp, it was quality house music at its finest and Rufus did not disappoint. The juiciest moment of their set was a rendition of Innerbloom, where the long, sweeping rhythms combined with vocalist Tyrone Lindqvist's vocals enveloped the crowd in an impenetrable audible bubble and sweet caress.

With the sun setting on the first weekend of Listen Out 2016, it was a great day that featured a plethora of acts — everything between electronic and hip hop. Although there was no tune rag in sight, perhaps the future dates will feature one billowing in the afternoon breeze.