There have been many names given to the style of electronic music that has been making its rise on the airwaves in recent years. Placing emphasis on ethereal synths and slower bass patterns, the indietronica/electropop/chillwave (whatever you want to call it) movement has had me intrigued into the production of a live performance that would both entertain a crowd of electronic music lovers, while maintaining the dreamlike vibes so ever present in the sub-genre. My excitement was overflowing when I heard that ODESZA would be performing at the Tivoli in Brisbane for a sideshow while they were touring with the regional based Groovin’ the Moo festival. The Seattle based electronic duo had released one of my favourite albums from 2014, In Return, and since then I’d always been interested in seeing how an artist with this style would translate it to a captivating performance.

As I rocked up to The Tivoli just in time to catch the first act, Yuma X, I found myself quickly flicking through my phone to find any information about the duo on stage. Deciding to wing it, I was pleasantly surprised, as the stunning soulful voice of vocalist Lucy worked in such a perfect relationship with the instrumentals provided by co-member Jake. The two worked with a variety of synths, samplers, and drum pads to set the mood for the night, with the crowd swaying along and helping set the vibes.

Before I knew it Yuma X were finishing up their set and I was off to the bar to find myself a nice refreshment. I moseyed on back over to the dance floor with a beer in hand and waited intently for the next act, Yahtzel, to take the stage. I had heard bits and pieces from the Ulladulla based producer and was interested to see how his live set would stack up. Yahtzel has done well to mix the synth sounds found in modern electronic music with more traditional sounding hip hop beats, and before I knew it I found myself moving with the crowd, bopping our bodies along with the funky tunes. The combination reminded me of another favourite artist of mine, Pretty Lights, and I quickly considered myself a fan. The Gorillaz track Dare thrown into the mix was a welcome sight, however I did find myself scratching my head to a Ms. Jackson remix, which was an interesting song to say the least. Without a doubt the highlight of the set was the closing song Let Go, which Yahztel introduced as being an unreleased track, much to the delight of the crowd. The heavier trap beat had the crowd in a frenzy, and it was impossible not to get the whole body moving along. Definitely keep an eye out for this song to be officially released.

Nothing could have prepared me for the sonic and visual spectacle I was to experience when ODESZA would eventually grace the Tivoli. Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight strolled onto the stage, drumsticks in hand, and took their places in front of their synthesisers and drum pads. Joining the duo on stage is the rest of the live band that is currently on the tour: a trumpeter, a trombonist, and guitarist. Visuals of ancient Greek statues being shot by arrows in slow motion flew onto the giant screen behind the artists, as they both start bellowing out heavy drums through their drum pads. The tribal drums were enough to get the heart pumping, with the group transitioning straight into a mix of ethereal synths and dreamy bells as well as a splash of colourful visuals that lit up the entire venue. For an hour an a half I was captivated by the visual experience, but it wasn’t an overbearing sensation. The music and visuals formed a symbiotic relationship, perfectly crafted to provide an experience that would engage many sensors in the body. The crowd seemed as captivated as I was, blaring out and singing along with the synths, as though lyrics weren’t necessary. It was easy to pick out the crowd favourites, as the audience let out giant cheers once the melodies for Sun Models and Say My Name were recognised. 

Considering the whole set didn’t seem to let up, I could still pinpoint two standout performances that would definitely be my own personal highlights of the night. The first was a guitar heavy remix of Zhu’s Faded, in which the guitarist from the band strummed out the opening riff of the remix, and was then joined by the rest of his colleagues, climaxing to the cheers of the crowd. The second was the encore performance, when after the cheers of the crowd died down, the duo, followed by the rest of the live band, performed a trap heavy remix of Alex Adair’s Make Me Feel Better (including awesome visuals from the kaiju film Gamera).

It would be an understatement to say that ODESZA exemplifies effectively combining an audio and visual experience to bring out the best of their style of electronic music. Their spectacle highlights the true potential electronic artists can hope to capture in their live performances, and should stand as a statement that no matter what style you bring to table in the electronic scene, you can truely captivate an audience with a well produced show.

- Ryan Hoy