Simple, basic, and purely amazing. Mount Kimbie avoided the over-the-top showmanship and instead delivered a humble yet brilliant set to a sold out Corner Hotel.
The two-piece, made up of Dominic Maker and Kai Campos, joined the long, impressive list of acts in town for the Laneway Festival. Thanks to their critically acclaimed debut album Crook & Lovers in 2010, the multi-instrumentalists have been hailed by many as the originators of ‘post dubstep’ – a realm of urban, underground EDM that is fast on the rise.
The stage was crammed full of guitars, electronic machines, a drum kit, and four microphones. With almost seamless ease, the Londoners began to take the crowd on what soon became a musical journey.
Both artists showed off their extraordinary musical abilities as their sound slowly warmed towards the highly acclaimed hit, ‘Carbonated’. It was during this song that the duo showed their navigational prowess, switching between the machines and guitars while showing off their extraordinary mellow, deep voices.
Maker and Campos sailed through ‘Maybes’ and ‘Blood And Form’ with an extremely impressive consistency and fluidity, switching between instruments without missing a beat while keeping the energy and the sound going.
‘Before I Move Off’ really had the crowd consumed by their performance, a tune with a haunting, oriental sound mixed with eerie guitar strings that showed the diversity of Mount Kimbie’s sound. The tune welcomed a unique, great blend of unconventional instruments with bizarre sounds to make a weirdly excellent noise. Their alternative approach to writing translated beautifully in the live setting.
The band’s set at the Corner Hotel progressed through three stages. The first was the initial warm-up to get the crowd excited, all the while being softened by their musical magnetism. The second stage was a move into space-age, fast paced music with ‘Break Well’ and ‘So Many Times, So Many Ways’. Each section had something different to offer while still catering to what can only be described as Mount Kimbie’s unique sound. Lastly, led by the deep, thunderous noise of the bass, ‘Made To Stray’ followed by ‘Field’ had the crowd hypnotised into a trance-infused bopping.
When they were ready to start the encore, the duo broke out into what was a staggering rendition of ‘Mayor’. With the bass put into overdrive, huge trance vibrations welcomed a mass of foot stomping while fans started to frantically jump up and down for the first time in the night.
The flash of the lights mirrored the timing of every bass note, and the energy in the room during the filler sounds in-between really captured what the pair had been building up towards all night.
Mount Kimbie provided a purely unique experience that is difficult to put into words. There was no bravado or ego, instead the duo performed with humble exuberance. It takes a talented act to make an audience dance while, at the same time, want to be completely immersed in a relaxed lull.
Setlist
Carbonated
Home Recording
Maybes
Fall Out
Blood And Form
Before I Move Off
Break Well
So Many Times, So Many Ways
Made to Stray
Field
Mayor
