Live Review: The Likes Of You feat. Troy Pierce, Isaac Fryar, Safari

A balmy, moonless Friday night, perching on the cusp of summer. Safari's singular techno beat can be heard half a block away as we approach. Inside the carcass of the Argus building, youthful denizens teem over the two skeletal floors but look longingly upwards to the open, dark sky above them. The main auditorium takes up nearly half of the ground floor. A sinewy screen comprised of small pyramids that stretch across two columns acts as backdrop for the continuous lighting display. The crowd on the dancefloor is thin, but the night is still young. At one point, the momentum of Safari's beats escalates and the crowd's anticipation immediately builds up, but he doesn't carry it over. Perhaps the night was too young?

The seamless changeover to Isaac Fryar sees the hypnotic beat take us on a musical journey that peaks in the second half: Fryar breaks the beat down to double time, dips in and out and stretches the tempo, confidently experimenting with the rhythm. The crowd clearly appreciates the variety. There are vivacious beats and touches of African drums, melancholic horns and shrill vocals that lighten Safari's deeper bass tones. If Safari's music was like a soliloquy with a main character in the incessant singular beat, Fryar's mixing is like an unfolding play with a cast of characters who either take turns to step into the limelight or all speak at once in a cacophony.

The overall lighting displays start to amp up a bit as the night progresses with projections from the far end of the room. Racing binaries and falling stripes rain down on us from across the soffits and exposed beams. The sculptural screen is thematically sensitive to the nuances in the music, but one can't help wishing that the design had also capitalised on this post-apocalyptic setting, somehow wrapping the images from floor to ceiling.

Much anticipated US DJ Troy Pierce introduces a distinctively edgy mix with intriguing synthesiser undertones. The beats are initially stripped-back and minimal, but constantly driven by a pulsating rhythm. Like Fryar, the second half of Pierce's performance is the highlight, where the fusion of energy, faster beats and kinetic lighting all saturate to near-breakout point several times. The crowd cheers eagerly, urging him to set the release. However, he stops shy every time by inexplicably cooling down the tempo very quickly. It's a long night of prolonged teasing. The diversity of his mixing however, still manages to add interest and keep everyone on their toes throughout his set.