Friday has got to be the best night to go out. There a carefree vibe undulating through all parts of the city, tangible not only in the suits flooding the CBD venues but in the anticipation of all those who know Monday might is a lifetime away. Whether they have a 9 to 5 or not, every person in the joint you decide to hit up has a look on their face that says, “fuck it, tomorrow’s Saturday!” On any less a promising night it may never have come to fruition, but last Friday I dragged my ass all the way to St Kilda for the Hermitude album launch at Prince.
I had whet my palate with a taste of the new album Threads before heading to the gig, and I was suitably impressed by the range and composition of the tracks. That said, all expectations I had were essentially blown out of the water by the end of their performance. “Range” is too confined a word to describe how adept at genre mashing these two guys are. Although it’s not uncommon for contemporary music to borrow from other genres, this duo from the Blue Mountains in NSW somehow manage to unite sub-styles and genres through their unique interpretations – creating a sound simultaneously fresh, but with the comfort of familiarity. Over the course of the set I caught nuances of not just hip hop with a soul and jazz slant, but also dance hall, reggae, funk, heart-racing jungle-esque drum and bass, amalgamated ethnic electronica, and breaks, all overridden by what I can only describe as an urban synthetic that’s both exuberant and malevolent.
Elgusto, aka Angus Stuart, ably manned laptop, drum pad and decks, often bursting into impromptu frenzies of faultless digital scratching over track loops. His partner in crime, Luke Dubs, provided one of the best live keyboard and synth performances I have witnessed for some time. At one point he even strapped a keyboard over his shoulder for a jazz solo. The man proved he doesn’t play the piano, so much as dominate it. Layering the elements of each track live while playing in a pair is no small feat – either countless hours of jamming together or an ability to read each other’s mind is a prerequisite. Lucky for these guys, they not only have a history playing in jazz and funk bands, but they’re the offspring of musical families. Dubs’ father, Keith Dubber, was a trumpeter plying his trade in major musicals for over 40 years, while Elgusto’s father John Stuart is a composer and musician/engineer.
Their synchronicity as musicians extended to all aspects of the performance, as the night’s musical entertainment was supplemented by the two-man comedy antics of the duo. They did a great job of involving the crowd beyond introducing tracks, commentating on the stages of the bouts of improvisation they embarked on and giving each other hype. It was almost refreshing to see Elgusto kill the sound and call it his own fault, a testimony to the difficulty of what they were doing. Of the tracks dropped off the new album the synth heavy guitar riffs of Vector and the train-yard breakbeat of Bloodshot were definitely my favorites, with Slychain ripping the roof off the floor at the peak of the set. However, their whole discography was quite well represented, with a few old numbers finding satisfaction in the memories of many dedicated fans. The funk of Sunsetter and Swamp Sauce could not be denied, nor the urban float of Can’t Stop and Alter Ego, the infusion of jazz into the Arabian nights emanating from Massive Passive, and crowd favorite Nightfall Messenger. While perhaps trying to leave things with a poignant air I found the encore finale track Frayed a little too much of a downer from the vibe the crowd was previously on.
Tracks aside, my favorite part of the night was definitely the seemingly pure improv section they had towards the end. Breaking down any kinds of genre transition preconceptions, they jumped from old school electro ala Kraftwerk to industrial minimal techno, to a free flowing jazz piano extravaganza courtesy of Dubs. Those who attended one of the number of Halloween parties on Friday certainly missed out. Besides, last time I checked we were in Australia and trick or treating is for kids. Don’t make the same mistake next time.
