Live Review: Lucianblomkamp, GXNXVS, Shelley

Local DJ Shelley spins a set of low-key electronic-meets-pop tunes to start. She keeps the vibe chill as a few interested members of the general public groove along to the up-tempo beats she's supplying. Next up is one-man wrecking crew GXNXVS. The rising Melbourne DJ and producer is given an hour to raise the roof, instilling his performance with a wide range of musical genres. From booming electronica to breezy house through to hip hop-influenced productions, GXNXVS really gets the crowd moving with his eclectic mix. He even samples Drake over a pulsating beat, inciting one lad with a delightful mullet in khaki shorts and an open white shirt to pull off dance moves not seen by this scribe since the film Step Up.

Leading up to the second release of his experimental three-part musical project Sick Of What I Don't Understand, Melbourne's own Lucianblompkamp is holding a one-off free gig for fans at Carlton's famous The Curtin. Joined by Gold Fields drummer Ryan D'Sylva, the mysterious Blomkamp delivers an exhilarating performance leaving the audience wanting more. Title track Sick Of What I Don't Understand is one hell of an opener. Blomkamp loops his vocals alongside horror movie-esque keys before things take an even darker turn, with the end result sounding like something from the Blade Runner soundtrack. From there on it's an intense and invigorating display of modern electronica and haunting instrumentation, with D'Sylva's pounding, post-punk percussion a key to the music's success.

Blomkamp alternates between synths, guitar and violin as he unleashes his creepy-yet-hypnotic productions. The majority of his hour-long showing is devoid of vocals, but when he does approach the microphone there's a seductive quality to his delivery. Crawling finds Blomkamp flexing his guitar muscles while a booming electronic-themed number interlopes Drake's rap from 0 To 100. The hip hop doesn't stop there, however, with Blomkamp performing From Afar, a track rapper 6LACK sampled for his debut album last year. Still No features the vocals of UK rapper Trim and offers Blomkamp's take on modern grime before descending into a chaotic drum'n'bass rhythm.

"This is a new one," Blomkamp utters, his first words to the audience all night. What follows is a Radiohead-esque jam incorporating tempo changes and sparkling percussion before his collaboration with vocalist Rromarin, Nothing, brings things to a cathartic end. As punters chant, "One more song!" Blomkamp returns, only to inform the crowd, "I wish I could, but there is no 'one more song'."