After the release of ‘Household Goods’ in 2010 and ‘Trouble’ last year, Orlando ‘Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs’ Higginbottom garnered the attention of Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw and was put on remix duty by commercial artists as well as underground, from Professor Green and Lady Gaga to The 2 Bears. Tonight his soft voice sounds frail, drowning behind the easy going electro of ‘Household Goods’, but this is understandable, Brighton is the last leg of a sold out UK tour. TEED’s notoriously elaborate head-dress of feathers, beads and tapestry bop to the beat, rhythmically rising and falling to the sunset synths of ‘Trouble’. Digital’s crowd push forward straining to see the DJ behind the barrier of keyboards, laptops, samplers and a drum machine, between which he’s constantly flitting.

The gracious ‘Garden’ has the 8 bit blips of Crystal Castles but without the screeching mania. It’s warm and affectionate, ambling into our ears and gently coaxing us to dance. As one of his most recent releases it is perhaps also the most recognisable and the crowd begin to bounce with boundless vigour. They’re packed so tightly towards the stage that they move as one, unified by necessity, arms pushed down to their sides or raised aloft, the sea of haircuts swell as lasers cut the smoke above them.

With his album set to drop in June we’re treated to some new material. His latest tune ‘Tapes & Money’ has a luscious melody with a melancholy vocal and fast tempo. As with all his work he manages to create a harmonious sound from seemingly contrasting elements. As a producer of the future his bars are anything but Jurassic.

Words and photos by Zac Colbert
Sat 18th Feb, Digital