SBTRKT, O2 Academy Brixton, London, review: An all-encompassing experience
Part of SBTRKT's appeal lies in its unpredictability
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Your support makes all the difference.SBTRKT could play at the Royal Opera House and electro wunderkind Aaron Jerome would still make his audience feel as if they were in an industrial warehouse dancing like trapped nerve endings.
Jerome has become a hot commodity since his immersive debut album in 2011 and his newly released Wonder Where We Land is a testament to his rise, featuring his highest-profile collaborations yet, including A$AP Rocky and Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, the latter of whom he worked with on "New Dorp, New York" - one of the gig's highlights, a minimal, entrancing track with tribal and funk influences.
Part of SBTRKT's appeal lies in its unpredictability - "Hold On" featured a percussion-led instrumental that felt like being in the midst of Notting Hill Carnival, while a cover of Radiohead's "Lotus Flower" introduced the concept of vigorous misery dancing.
"Something Goes Right" was soulful; "Higher" featured guest vocals from newcomer rapper Raury and finale "Right Thing To Do" was a euphoric way to end the evening. The room reverberated under the bass.
The strobe lighting effects were impressive in themselves; varying colours flew across the space in otherworldly beams. The experience is all-encompassing; SBTRKT is musical stimulation, inventive and restless.
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