Yumi Zouma, Bo En & Adolescent @ Red Gallery

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 19:55:00 +0000

April 18th 2015
It was my first visit to the Red Gallery, humming with hipster vibes and creativity as the red lights glowed through it. Kicking off the night were Adolescent, a duo rocking the Mac and the bass, interchanging and twisting their way through classically structured songs filtered through a modern groove. After Bo En‘s half hour set my brow hurt. From being so furrowed in utter confusion. The crowd was split between those wondering whether this guy was for real, and those bounding around and totally having it, appearing to show no hint of irony. Imagine twenty seconds taken from every song in VH1’s Top 100 One Hit Wonders list mashed together in succession with apparently scant regard for tempo, genre or fit.
But the support is not what everyone came from, and after Bo en, Yumi Zouma were even more of a welcome respite than they may have otherwise been. The sound was less vibrant than on record, taking a more lo fi approach than the slick production on record. Stylishly rocking with understatement through tracks off their recent second release EP II, as well as those from last year’s self titled debut, tunes such as Brae, Long Walk Home For Parted Lovers and Catastrophe. Engaging and intuitive, this is dream pop delivered with power. Lead singer Kim is cute and captivating, dancing around the stage with laid back enthusiasm, whilst Josh and Charlie rock out behind her. It’s an altogether pleasant set, using the original meaning of pleasant – enjoyable, attractive, fun and entertaining. On tonight’s performance it’s clear why Yumi Zouma have started to creep their way into the hearts of so many music fans. If 2014 was their year, 2015 doesn’t look set to be any different.

Visions Festival

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 15:05:01 +0000

In the year when the successful Camden Crawl folded, the outlook for Visions was mixed. Was the RIP of CC a sign that we are over wristband festivals, or was it just that new blood is needed. After a successful debut last year, the Hackney one-dayer, with 28 bands playing across four venues, complete with a Record Fair, Comic Book convention, Tattoo art exhibition and Netil Food truck market, wasn’t so grand in scale, but succeeded in inspiration, intimacy and diversity.

In the craft beer hub Brewhouse sophisticated electropop from New Zealand quartet Yumi Zouma has elements of rolling melodies, whilst jangle pop was there in all glory at arts studio Oval Space, with guaranteed good time Veronica Falls and Mollie Rankin’s from Toronto’s Alvvays connective clamour.

Eleanor Friedberger persevered through a chatty crowd in the New Empowering Church, and playing with warm heart and soul endeared the crowd, as the delicate vocals of Swedish sweetheart Alice Boman had earlier.

The Laundry is certainly the heavy house, with the Cheetahs early set leaning to loud grunge rather than melodic shoegaze. It gets heavier for Leeds’ Eagulls, and shocktastic for Perfume Pussy. Andrew WK’s audience are there to party hard. Violent dancing, destroyed amplifiers, stage invasions and crowdsurfing, only ending as W.K’s microphone and piano were unplugged. Crazed carnage.

As frustrating as it us, when nearly all day major band clashes are on, it’s a sign of a stellar line-up is a good one. Whilst Perfume Genius played what I heard to be a deep, atmospheric and beautiful set Policia were haunting and slick as usual, there was the feeling that they may have been a bit weary after their string of festival performances.

Visions – I see a good future ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgeLb4QAC6M

Yumi Zouma – and so she thinks

Yumi Zouma, Bo En & Adolescent @ Red Gallery

Visions Festival