Live Review: Lucianblomkamp, Lower Spectrum

Draped in all black wearing an oversized black tee and black beanie, Melbourne producer Lucianblomkamp walked on stage just after midnight following Sydney electronic/experimental act JaysWays. He played an acoustic version of From Afar, with violin in hand, shortly followed by The Overman, off his second LP Bad Faith. The stunning black and white light visuals on the projector screen behind him provided an elegantly fitting backdrop to his music — often slow, emotional and creeping with a kind of darkly solemn, eerie intensity.

The visuals switching to and from dancing symmetrical patterns to a geometrical figure of the side of Lucianblomkamp's face appeared to sync in time to the almost ethereal elements of his music. He performed Help Me Out, taken from his first album Post Nature, complete with his signature ominous and industrial sound, the performance felt deep and almost tortured. He followed through with Eleven & 22, drawing on more elements of techno, while the crowded room full of introverts gently swayed, eyes closed and heads slowly nodding in time to the beats and sounds. There was also unsurprisingly a lot of abstract solo dancing involved throughout the night, and his brief 45-minute set ended with a humble and gracious round of applause from everyone in the room.

Following his performance was a set from Perth electronic producer Lower Spectrum (aka Ned Beckley) who was also accompanied by a visual light show on a backdrop behind him. Drawing on more trap influences, his set was a little more electronic, drawing on a variety of sounds and samples, and often incorporating slower, R&B and hip hop influences into his set. Lower Spectrum complemented Lucianblomkamp's sound with ease and sophistication.