Two electronic artists took a sold-out Sinclair by storm and wove electronic patterns that, pilule despite it being a Sunday show, delivered relentless energy. The Range and Jon Hopkins are wizards of very different shades of the same craft, but both know how to effectively work a crowd. The raised stage at The Sinclair quite literally put them up on a pedestal as we danced. Both beats and mouths dropped, and I, for one, welcomed our new electronic overlords. Overused jokes aside, I realized halfway through that this was my first show in this vein (I have no idea how I’ve never caught a full DJ set). Other heavy hitters ascribed with an alternative electronic label, like Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, and even James Blake, are often much more straightforward singer-songwriter types, and I’ve generally seen them with the benefit of a full band. However, I left the show feeling satisfied, energized, and not ready to stop moving. The enthusiasm that each showed for their music was contagious.
When it was time for the show to start, The Range stepped out to the table in a very modest fashion; after dropping his debut album, Nonfiction, just last year, it was clear that he’s used to the fanfare. Adorned in a beanie and wire-frame glasses, he gave a wry smile and introduced himself before immediately launching into his set. People were instantly moving and it was at this point that I learned to avoid buying a drink in a cup at shows like this in the future – mine was immediately swatted out of my hand by a little bit of cavalier flailing by the person standing next to me. I took it as a cue to start dancing, myself, and I instantly eased up on some of the pretension that I’ve been feeling as someone newly heading to concerts to review them.
Although they deliver music in the same medium, The Range puts a bigger emphasis on vocal sampling and he was endearingly into them as he sprinkled them into his set. He mouthed just about every single one of them as they blasted through the speakers, and at no point during his set did he stop moving while at the controls. Transitions between songs were always seamless and there were a few times where it took me a few seconds to realize that he had started playing something else. This began to feel a little worn out after a while as his impressively orchestrated drops felt like the only thing breaking up certain segments without samples.
I was surprised, but not upset, to hear him work in his remix of CHVRCH’s “We Sink”. Showcasing his ability to read a crowd, he cranked up the bass when it began to carry its own tune which sounded phenomenal against the song’s brisk drum sounds and slightly slowed vocals. His accompanying light show often put the spotlight right on him, likely indicative of the attention he’ll be getting as he transitions out of his halcyon days. Closing with “Metal Swing” was an apt choice. As his first big single and the last song on Nonfiction, the beat and embellishments continuously elicited cheers from the crowd.
Jon Hopkins’ meticulously curated mystery was on full display right off the bat. The lights dropped and sounds droned for a solid five minutes before he finally emerged from behind the curtains. His appearance marked the loudest round of celebration yet, as The Sinclair had completely filled up. Stepping right to his setup, he delivered stylishly abrasive high notes before complimenting them with bass and a beat. Hopkins made it very clear that he knows what increasing the volume does to a crowd – after a lull between sets, everyone was dancing again, but this time it was to the type of bass that permeates your skeleton.
His blinding hand speed for his pads and knobs was matched by his absolute precision; he was not a stranger to the stage. His ferocity in attacking the pads stylistically set him apart from the previous set. He layered glitchy sounds in with his hooks and bombastic bass to create a sound that felt more cerebral, and during his set he changed the space and cultivated a colossal separate world. While the changeovers from song to song were more noticeable than The Range’s, it gave his set a wonderful current that simply never stopped during his hour-long time on stage.
As the set wore on the bass became even more prominent as he played with the pacing from beat to beat. This made for buildups that lasted for minutes and created heavy, palpable tension. The crowd erupted with each drop and clever flourish, and Hopkins couldn’t contain smiles from the crowd’s feedback. He clearly got enjoyment out of engaging with the crowd, rather than playing to it. This was most evident on his signature dance monster, “Open Eye Signal”. While nearly eight minutes long, its live depth was incredible and each added detail and layer that pounded through the speakers was met with that same warm response. He even mixed in a few dubstep-esque tenets, but avoided any sort of tackiness. When he left the stage, the crowd was relentless in getting him. We’ve all been to shows where the applause dies down a bit and the artist comes back for a planned encore anyway, but this was not the case. His performance was that captivating. Seeing artists who love what they’re doing is an absolute pleasure.
Check out our interview with The Range here!
