Live Review

Holy Balm, Scraps, 100% @ The Foundry

It's a small yet enthusiastic bunch of partiers that lend their collective ears to the low-fi, synth-laden sounds of Brisbane-based trio 100% tonight. It's an easy going yet slightly disjointed set that doesn't dazzle, but does indeed get the party started, thanks largely to the commanding vocals of Lena Molnar. They close the set with their recently released single, Lost Youth

Laura Hill (better known to the music community as Scraps) wastes no time in proving why she is often referred to as the Queen of Brisbane's electronic scene – the crowd has increased significantly with die-hard fans, all keen to get their groove on to her now trademark, dreamy electro jams. She throws on her cap and sets to work, dancing effortlessly across her soundboard to provide the party with tracks from her latest album TTNIK (pronounced titanic), which are a beautiful showcase of how far she's come as a musician over the years – the beats are solid, her vocals are heavily layered, echoey and moody, while the melodies capture the audience with their hypnotic tendencies. The broody Touch Blue is a definite standout of a fantastic set that is teasingly short. Thanks as always must go to Scraps for a faultless performance.

While Scraps is always a tough act to follow, Sydney's Holy Balm rise to the challenge, creating a fun, dancey atmosphere, completely devoid of pretension from the onset. While they've made a trademark of off-beat, almost awkward, electro party beats over the years, what we hear tonight with the tracks from their second LP Activity, is a beautifully refined production that has somehow managed to amp up the party vibes while still keeping that care-free spirit in tact – no easy feat. Emma Ramsay's voice is as smooth as butter, with her child-like, sing-song intonation, "Is your head full, is your mind full?" in the track Clandestine, acting as but one of the many highlights of their performance (proven by the fact that it stayed ringing in the ears of this reviewer for many days to come). The dark and slightly eerie bass line of Hot Cold brings another dynamic to the table, which creates mesmerised bodily movements from the crowd. While Scraps' set seemed short, Holy Balm's has felt even shorter, with all members of the audience left craving at least a few more hours of Holy Balm's presence.

Whether intentional or not, tonight's performances have seemed to act as a linear showcase of the progression of synth sounds, ranging from the low-fi bedroom sounds of 100% to the full blown, well rehearsed production of Holy Balm, making for a truly engrossing evening of music. 

- Jazmine O’Sullivan

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