Event Highlight – Lone at Electric Brixton (Convergence Closing Party, 25th March 2017)
Lone has been one of the leading figures in UK electronic music for a number of years and has provided some of the most appealing and listenable tracks around.
Which is why, despite featuring in a lineup alongside a number of other big names such as Jacques Greene, who curated the night, and Pional (among others), it was Lone that was the real deal breaker and the main reason we headed over to Brixton.
Surprisingly, the Nottingham-born producer opened up to a relatively sparse crowd. Although daunting at first, this ultimately helped to create a close atmosphere when it could have otherwise easily been lost in what is a hugely open, theatre-type venue.
Whilst seeing electronic musicians perform live is an experience that is made by the great music and great sound systems, they are often criticised for being too scripted and not “live” enough, particularly when compared to a more traditional live act. With this in mind, it was an amazing surprise to see Lone perform alongside drummer Chris Boot throughout his set. This worked so well and gave a focus to the percussion which dominates in Lone’s hip hop tinged signature sound.
Although the whole set was amazing, the absolute highlight was the performance of ‘Lying in the Reeds’, from his album ‘Galaxy Garden’ which is, in simple terms, a huge tune.
Track Highlight – Karizma – Work It Out
Few standout tracks this year have provided us with such incredible moments of enjoyment in such simple ways. Karizma’s ‘Work It Out’ is one of those tracks. Released in April as part of ‘The Deadpool EP’ for Lumberjacks in Hell, this is a classic example of an artist setting the satisfaction of the audience as their number one priority.
To use the analogy of a top chef’s restaurant, ‘Work It Out’ is not a fine dining experience. There is no polite conversation, nor are there any complex names and terms designed to make the food sound better than it actually is. It is a huge, all-you-can-eat, get-your-hands-dirty buffet that just keeps on giving.
Sampling the uplifting gospel vocals of Dr. Charles G. Hayes’ choir together with a relentless house beat (for which he has become a master during his career spanning more than 20 years), Karizma has created one of the most enjoyable pieces of electronic music of 2017.
On their website, Lumberjacks in Hell describe this as “an absolute beast of a party record”. And we couldn’t agree more.
https://lumberjacksinhell.bandcamp.com/track/karizma-work-it-out