For the past six weeks, Hermitude have been touring their latest album, Dark Night, Sweet Light, across Australia and New Zealand. Last night the electronic duo went out with a bang at The Studio in Auckland.
Formed by Aussies, Luke Dubber and Angus Stuart, the post-dubstep act packed the venuewall-to-wall as they laid down throbbing bass and sharp synth sequences, kicking off their hour long set close to midnight.
The Studio quickly turned into a swelling sea of people, moving like waves in time to the music. People clapped and cheered, jumped and swayed, pumping their hands in the air as each song went on - giving themselves over to the sound.
Strobe lights pulsated as Hermitude played a blend of new and old tracks. A screen behind the DJ desk showed close-ups of Dubber working the synthesisers and Stuart hitting the drum machines, before switching to animated creatures, kaleidoscopic smoke and entrancing aerial views of a beautiful coastline.
It would have been easy for Hermitude to just hit a few buttons and twist a few knobs, but the duo were set out to prove they were making their music live. The musicality between the two was incredibly tight - Stuart scratching a vinyl as Dubber let his fingers run wild across a keyboard. At one point the two came out from behind the desk, to the front of the stage for a mini-jam on a key-tar and beat-making machine.
Not being ones to let down fans, they busted out the Flume remix of HyperParadise, which has become one of the band's biggest songs - trumping the original track. Hermitude also showcased a calypso drum reworking of ODESZA's Say My Name. They even threw a bit of In The Jungle into the mix.
Speak Of The Devil made bodies move, as did the gritty grime of Golden. Rapper Young Tapz joined Hermitude on stage for Through The Roof and The Buzz, urging the audience to throw their hands up as the songs were built up and dropped.
Hermitude, delivered an outstanding night of energy and music - drawing inspiration from hip hop, jungle and EDM. Likely hitting the spot for many punters, inspiring them to keep partying till dawn.
Who: Hermitude Where: The Studio, Auckland When: Saturday July 11
