Live Review: Triple J ARIA Week Showcase: Remi, SAFIA, Jackie Onassis

As one of the ARIA week parties, it didn't take long to realise this gig was a triple j Unearthed showcase, the venue emblazoned with Unearthed branding projected onto as many surfaces as possible to make sure no one missed who had put this bill together, which turned out to be a very interesting collection of acts.

Melbourne rapper Remi instantly had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Recruiting the affable and talented N'fa Jones from 1200 Techniques as his hype man was a brilliant decision from the young artist, and it was incredible how confident Remi ruled the stage with this veteran humbly helping him out. The pair were also joined by drummer/producer Sensible J and producer Dutch, with special guest Hau Latukefu brought out for a rendition of Summertime borrowing a beat from Jazzy Jeff that he himself borrowed from Kool & The Gang. Vocalist Asta also joined the crew for a cover of The Avalanches' Since I Left You.

After a short break and an introduction from Unearthed's Rosie Beaton, Canberra's electronic indie three piece SAFIA took the night off on a tangent. While at first it seemed like an odd choice to sandwich between two hop hop acts, the crowd had no trouble falling into step with the group who took equal cues from the likes of James Blake and 90s pop electronic in measured doses.

Sydney's Jackie Onassis had the hometown advantage, and there was definitely a solid crew out to see them in action, most of whom had loosened up considerably by this point. The two piece producer/rapper crew took things back to the original hip hop origins of the night, and their clear grasp of old school hip hop mixed with modern production techniques was showcased in a tight and classic hip hop set, with crowd participation, hands in the air, and engaged the whole crowd in some sideways shuffle dance which was something bizarre and cool to behold. They dedicated the track Never See You Again to the retiring triple j announcer Tom Ballard, and the influence of the station was once again forefront.

While there's a million bands out there vying for attention via Unearthed, the ones that bubbled to the surface at this show well and truly justified their time in the spotlight.