Live Review: Oneohtrix Point Never, Air Max '97, Waterhouse

Following some confusion with door times, Waterhouse opens the night and offers up a blend of experimental electronica and darkwave that is definitely PA-pushing and genre adventurous. However, from behind a set of CD decks it ends up coming across as more off a collage of developing ideas that, while interesting, need refinement in execution to become more coherent and mind testing. Less is more could be the case here. But still it's a fun way to begin.

Annoyingly, Air Max '97 hangs around the stage with an iPhone and a bottle of San Pellegrino before his set, but he does start quick and offers up a friendlier, club version of the preceding set. It feels better associated with a sweaty, dirty club at 3am on a Sunday morning rather than 9pm. It's cool and, for the most part (aside from the poorly executed foray into '90s Ministry Of Sound compilation territory and that blaring, drawn-out Bjork sample) it's interesting.

In the country to perform his contributions to the mind-boggling Anohni show as part of Vivid LIVE, experimental electronic producer/pusher, Oneohtrix Point Never (aka Daniel Lopatin) is the reason we're all here. Performing in collaboration with guitarist/experimentalist/visual artist Nate Boyce, the fragmented synth of opener I Bite Through It sets the tone for the black hole we are about to be sucked into. Subtlety is not a word in tonight's vocabulary as each unique sound/movement/visual is presented in our faces and forces an attentive response.

The middle of the set sees its peak with the club accessibility of Sticky Drama turning almost-black metal through its improvised evolution courtesy of Boyce's guitar chops. Animals dials things back slightly - the most 'relaxing' moment of the evening - while Ezra turns that dial right back up again. The crowd is an odd bunch tonight with a few bogans crawling out from under their rocks attempting to ruin the experience. Fortunately, they are stopped in their tracks relatively quickly through the deafening sound.

As Garden Of Delete closer No Good caps things off, if you can escape the AV digital nightmare and the blinding strobe lights, it's hard not to get caught up in being a total nerd with the technology on display here. Lopatin and Boyce are clearly masters of their craft and while tonight has the odd hiccup it is for the most part flawlessly executed and showcases why Oneohtix Point Never is an innovative brand name in electronic music production. It would have been nice to see them venture into older works such as Replica, however.