Live Review: Usurper Of Modern Medicine, Sacred Flower Union, Mt Mountain

The launch of the limited vinyl release of Usurper Of Modern Medicine’s album Omniliberation was a heady mixture of psychedelic visuals and sharply piercing electronic beats. Opening the night was Derailluer, which allowed the first punters to move to their cyclic electronic beats. Although the music from Derailluer wasn’t as engaging as that of the other supporting acts, it was a worthy effort, and set up a disco-like atmosphere within the venue.

Mt Mountain’s set brought the gig into a whole new plane, with an evocative rustic appeal emerging from their music. A style that could only be described as progressive rock meets psychedelia, the strong pulsating bass and undulating rhythm guitars gave off the illusion that the listener could be running slowly through a desolate desert wasteland. The hazy antics of the smoke machine and pulsating projected graphics behind the band complemented their track Ghosts’ deeply intoxicating, distorted qualities.

The third acts of the night were headliners Usurper Of Modern Medicine, who impressed punters with sweeping synthesisers and quirky samples. With a solid foundation coming from the organically produced drums and the bass guitar, the intricacies produced by the computer added irregular beats and faintly ethereal vocals to the music, making it more experimental. Many of the tracks came from their debut album Omniliberation, an album that exemplifies their other-worldly sounds. One of the songs played was Hard Candy which started off with tenacious punk power chords and descended into a fleeting amalgam of synth and crunchy bass notes.

Sacred Flower Union finished off the night with some smooth electronic tunes, phasing in and out with hints of dabbled reverb being placed throughout. The music could be best described as being rather lo-fi, with some spiritual qualities; the sort of music to kick back to during a late summer afternoon. Fishbeak from the EP Afternoon Reflectors, with its deeply entrancing drum beat, hypnotically enticed a loyal group of fans to move enthusiastically to the subtly relaxing music. The ambience that resulted from computerised beats allowed for a succinct decompression as the gig was brought to a close.