Electronic duo, Mount Kimbie, are setting off on a tour around Europe and the first of the sold out dates was at Brighton’s Concorde2. Given that Dom Maker grew up here and they have a local show history than spans from the Dome to Revenge, this wasn’t too much of a surprise, but it’s a testament to their wide-spread success that they’re also selling out shows in cities as diverse as Brussels, Munich and Norwich.
We spoke to them a few months ago about the new album on Warp Records, ‘Cold Spring Fault Less Youth,’ and they expressed how much their music-making style has progressed from the first releases crafted on Fruity Loops, and this shift has changed their live performances too.
They’ve thrown themselves into the studio with a zeal for learning and their stage show has progressed from two men with laptops to include live instruments, most notably guitars but a considerable number of percussive tools too. It makes their performance seem a bit more authentic, and the addition of vocal samples recorded on stage makes the songs a bit rougher than the record and more raw. They may not have decades of classical music lessons behind them, but they do a pretty good job.
‘You Took Your Time,’ a collaboration with King Krule from the latest album, really shows their transition; it’s atmospheric and deep, still with the same Mount Kimbie synths but with increased strength and confidence. The vocals in ‘Made To Stray’ are louder and more yearning than on record, and make the band seem more commercially viable, in the manner of James Blake.
The backdrop for the show is a quick-fire succession of holiday photographs, as in the official video for ‘Before I Move Off,’ showing travels across Thailand, Japan and America. Sandy feet, grinning locals and airport departure lounges feature heavily, making for nostalgic and addictive viewing. It’s a shame the backdrop loops before the end of the set, because it didn’t seem to have overrun, and it damaged the sensation of the show being a journey.
That said, it didn’t dampen the atmosphere and the crowd reaction was all you could hope for: bearded men at the back tap their toes under folded arms, some young girls climb on their friends’ shoulders and wave their arms around festival-style, until the barrage of empty plastic glasses flung at them proves too much.
Either Concorde’s lowered its capacity lately or the hideous weather made some ticket-buyers reconsider, because for a sold out show it seemed remarkably spacious in room one, with a comfortable, respectful amount of room to dance. If Mount Kimbie continue their musical voyage at the same pace, the sold out venues will keep getting bigger.
Concorde2, Wednesday 6th November 2013
Words by Jessica Marshall McHattie
