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| Elizabeth Rose. Photo by Rochelle Flack |
The sold out sign is up long before the rainstorm outside eases and the
tropicalia rhythms of Fishing's set
begin. Their inventive Clams Casino-style sampledelica and cartoonish approach
to electro hip-hop is instantly appealing. That the duo's clumsy approach to triggering and cutting - rather than sequencing their slippery beats, squelchy synths and airy
chords - only adds to the party vibe.
Safia, a tighter and less charismatic act, have Muse-size ambition and get a
passionate response from a near-capacity room. Initially, their sparkling and
banging production doesn’t seem worthy of the often-formulaic songs it inhabits,
but as the set progresses and singer Ben Woolner’s neo-soul voice limbers up,
the gig takes off. The punchy swagger and mammoth beats of early track Stretched and Faded, Listen to Soul, Listen to Blues and
their remix of the Aston Shuffle’s Tear
it Down best showcase this production/voice combination. Safia are bound to
be killing it at a festival before the year is out.
The curtain parts, symphonic synth chords
boom, clouds of purple dry ice billow and tonight’s star Elizabeth Rose arrives wearing a gold Lame top with an open blue
eye. Blasting us skyward with her instantly addictive intelligent electro pop,
opening track Is it Love? buzzes like
a head full of nitrous oxide. Breezing through technical glitches like a
seasoned pro, Rose works her way through a set heavy on R&B rhythms and spiralling melodies. Rose's songs Ready and Out of Step showcase her fresh approach to sampling and her deft way with a chorus. In a genre that often feels limp and exhausted, to see so much energy and a complete lack of cynicism fills the heart with joy. Again (Rose's 2012 single produced by UK star Sinden) still sounds futuristic, which is amazing in such a fast-moving field. Songs such as Sensibility strike that rare balance of a 9.1 from Pitchfork and MMM high rotation, the sort of quality that makes her cover of Corona's Rhythm of the Night feel infantile and silly, even while it
sends hands in the air and gets the room jumping. The Good Life - her closing anthem of defiance and the opening track of
tonight's launched EP is final proof that we've all witnessed a monumental talent on the way up.
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