Hermitude
13th November 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
Wednesday is hump day, the tantalizing decent into the weekend one that most Aucklanders savour with relish, a mid-week show by Australian electronic hip hop duo Hermitude just what the doctor ordered. Throw in a support set by Haiku Hands and you have a prescription guaranteed to cure any remnants of the working day blues.
Hermitude certainly aren’t new to the scene, the multi-instrumentalists and turntablists Luke Dubs (Luke Dubber) and El Gusto (Angus Stuart) well known within the right circles; what is new however is their latest album Pollyanarchy, their first in four years following Dark Night Sweet Light, an album that had a decidedly trap inspired feel to its sound. With their latest release Hermitude have opted for more vocal-led electronica, the guest list of artists featured, which includes such names Buddy, Bibi Bourelly and Vic Mensa, enough to make any fan salivate at the overwhelming goodness.
Giving fans a taste of both the old and the new last night, Hermitude took the stage at Aucklands Powerstation with ‘Pilot Light’ a track that according to the duo has a ‘Vangelis type feel with some modern twists’, it’s slow-burner pace easing the audience into an evening that would soon see them immersed in a world of impressive big screen graphics and bass that permeated the soul; ‘Swerve’ featuring Wes Period taking the tempo up a few notches.
Watching Hermitude live, it’s easy to see the connection between Dubs and Gusto, their synchronicity at times perfectly in tune. Periodically checking in with their fans, the obligatory but genuine hype man antics ensure that their audiences are as invested in their performance as they are. Winding the clock back, the duo hit their fans with ‘Sloucho Darx’, the ebbs and flows masterfully handled as they slid into ‘Stupid World’ which features the vocals of Bibi Bourelly ‘chopped up’ and replayed to make the hook. Creative juices, yeah Hermitude have them by the bottle.
Easily one of the biggest highlights of the show was ‘Let it Burn’ featuring not only the vocal stylings of alternative dance indie pop sensation Haiku Hands – a trio comprising of the Nakazawa sisters and third member Beatrice Lewis – but a live performance. Having blown away attendees who caught their support slot (and didn’t stop talking about how great they were for the rest of the evening), Haiku Hands brought the heat with their choreographed dance moves and tongue in cheek lyrics that saw the crowd get their sweat on. ‘Let it Burn’ a beat developed by Gusto and sent to his ‘fam’ Haiku Hands, which a mere couple of weeks later resulted in the kick ass track that is an easy standout on the album.
Rainbow graphics, hypnotising rings and reflections of Hermitude themselves littered the screen as enthusiastic patrons soaked up the bass, synth drenched ‘Northern Lights’ featuring Soaky Siren and Vory coming through towards the end of the set and setting the crowd alight; the night rounded off with Dubs playing the part of keyboard virtuoso with a distinctly jazz feel (a few off notes here and there, well forgiven in the live setting), Gusto soon joining him down the front of the stage for their traditional jam with the audience.
Hermitude may have been on the scene for close to two decades, but with Pollyanarchy and killer live performances, they prove hands down that they can still deliver the goods.
Were you there at Galatos for this high energy electronic hip hop / bass gig? Or have you seen Hermitude perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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