Hermitude
24th February 2017
Studio, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
A line of people stretches down infamous K’Rd, the guys dressed to impress, the girls even more so. Electronic act Hermitude are in town and their fans are out in force, ready to dance the night away to the guys hailing from the Blue Mountains in Australia. Officially formed in 2000 the duo now has several albums (including their latest release Dark night Sweet Light) and a couple of EP’s under their belts and have supported some of the biggest names in the dance/electronic/hip hop scene including Dizzee Rascal, Rufus Du Sol and RJD2. The duo comprising of Angus Stuart (aka ElGusto) and Luke Dubber (aka Luke Dubs) show absolutely no signs of slowing down as each release seems stronger than the last. This is the same duo that when they dropped the track ‘Ukiyo’ in 2015 with no radio or video servicing whatsoever still had millions of plays within a few short months.
But back to the night itself; the studio is gradually starting to fill up, people sliding themselves in around the edges and everyone checking out everyone else in the room. A girl with a headdress made of paper butterflies illuminated with LED’s slowly cuts a path through the crowd, while another with LED finger rings dances near the corner, leaving trails of light scribed into the air. The stage has been set up with the familiar double desk and is illuminated with simple greens and blues. There is electricity in the air as the crowd builds, the background music not quite feeding their need with its rather mellow beats. As the venue is plunged into darkness for a few seconds; a ravenous roar echoes through the air as the crowd surges forward. Elgusto and Dubs bounce onto the stage, unassumingly dressed in black, as the screen behind them bursts into life.
A giant diamond made of glitter is being projected behind them, the stage is bathed in red spotlights and giant white letters spell out Hermitude, the crowd screaming their approval. The boys start pumping out some smooth beats as if teasing the crowd who are almost salivating to feel some heavy bass run through their veins. ElGusto picks up a set of drum sticks and starts to hammer out a beat on the drum machine as Dubs shows just how proficient he is on the wireless synthesiser. An onstage ‘support’ deftly moves back and forth filming the crowd, sending the images back to the screen behind Hermitude, the fans losing their minds as they see themselves. “Auckland let me hear some noise if you are feeling good tonight!” ElGusto calls out; the crowd not shy in showing him just how much they are indeed feeling the atmosphere tonight.
And then it drops, a heavy ass trap beat that just slays the crowd, and sends shivers of goodness running through the chest cavity. It is almost as if the boys are teasing the crowd, as they quickly return to steady beats again; the visuals on the screen behind giving off a definite vibe of ‘space’ with stars and colours slowing melding into one another. Dubs holds his hands up in the air signalling for everyone to clap in time, “I want to see everyone on their baddest behaviour with this one” yells ElGusto as the opening notes of ‘Ukiyo’ with its sexy chorus line prompting all the couples in the crowd to participate in some amorous dancing.
Throughout the night the duo would talk to the crowd, constantly interacting with them and letting them know just how much they appreciated their support on every trip that Hermitude make to NZ. The night continued to build in energy with tracks such as ‘Vibration’, ‘Searchlight’ and ‘The Buzz’ whipping the crowd up into a crescendo of energy and then letting it drop and wash over all who are present like a tidal wave of sound. By the time the duo dedicate the award winning track ‘Speak of the Devil’ [from the 2012 Hyperparadise album] to “all the dancers” the temperature is at least 10 degrees hotter than it is anywhere else in Auckland. The crowd bathed in sweat, let themselves be taken down into a more moody feel, as images of pristine beaches start playing on the screen and a slow beat with a definite reggae feel infects them.
However ‘Through the Roof’ and ‘Holding On’ soon turns the dial back to 11, the back of the venue turning into a mini dance comp as the movers in the audience break out into full routines, impressing the security guards who are keeping an eye on the rather well behaved crowd. All too soon Hermitude’s set is over – the boys once again expressing their love and gratitude to the audience. A few patrons made a quick dash for the exit, eager to head to the next club or party while on a high, but they quickly turn on their heels and run back towards the stage as Hermitude come back out for a 2 song encore.
But then it really is all over. Happy and sated Hermitude’s devotees spill out onto the street, the night still young enough for the idea of further adventures to be entertained.
Were you there at The Studio to witness this intimate show? Or have you seen Hermitude live somewhere else? Tell me about it in the comments below!