Live Review: Sui Zhen, Superstar

Walking into the innuendo-drenched Hugs & Kisses, things are criminally quiet for tonight's rather limited, but star-studded line-up. Arriving at the advertised start time equals a lot of sitting around listening to chillwave and Casio keyboard-driven reggae (courtesy of DJ Sanpo Disco) as the room gradually fills with smoke and people trickle in before Superstar officially kick the night off. The duo start a little weak, partially due to a questionable mix that offers a few too many spikes for their dream-pop escapism to take hold. Fortunately, these qualms are quickly corrected and standing while watching the group becomes an unwelcome chore as the projected visuals suggest - it feels as if we should be watching this set lying back at dusk on an isolated waterfront. It's a shame this quality band only rear their heads, on occasion, for performances as they never disappoint when it comes to creating a world of their own and tonight cements their already proven status as lo-fi's premier chill darlings.

Tonight is no ordinary show for Sui Zhen as she and her compadres pack up to go conquer the US. With tonight being an essential fundraiser, they have attempted to pull out all the stops with an expanded band in tow that consists of members from Totally Mild, NO ZU and Hot Palms. But unfortunately, for the most part, they don't quite hit the mark of excellence as set by latest record Secretly Susan. The set draws largely from said album, but it feels as if the band is slightly hesitant in their delivery. This can be notably heard in the album's 'bangers' Infinity Street and Take It All Back, which wind up feeling a little slow and safe.

From a production standpoint, such an intricate record is hard to replicate in a live environment and, in comparison to recent performances, tonight is the closest/most successful attempt yet (despite musical nitpicking when it comes to pitch and timing). But watching the band, it feels as if they're attempting to favour misguided intricacies as opposed to exploring and playing to the strengths of the core elements of the tracks, which make them memorable. With the mix a factor too, they don't hit either realm regardless. Still, tonight was a worthwhile experience and well worth supporting as the talent is definitely there and evident in the ideas behind the debatable execution.