Last weekend saw Jodrell Bank observatory play host to brand new festival – Bluedot. We were promised music, science, arts, technology, culture, food and film. Its mighty line-up included live performances, DJ sets, comedy, talks, workshops, and live experiments.
Here are our highlights from the weekend…
UNDERWORLD
Going to see art-rock-techno heavyweights Underworld perform is a bit like visiting an old friend who you haven’t seen in a long time: it’s exciting and comforting in equal measures, and you just know you’re going to have a great night.
They kicked off with the new album’s opening track, I Exhale and the booming 4/4 beats and sweeping chords engulfed the field, before a staccato bass-line indicated the start of Dark & Long (Dark Train) which sent the crowd into a frenzy, peaking during its anthemic breakdown.
As the sun began to set, there were songs played for every generation of Underworld fans as they mixed in their newest gems classic hits. The last songs played were ones every Underworld fan should know: Rez/Cowgirl and Born Slippy.Nux., sending the crown into hysteria!
There were no stage dancers, glow sticks or ridiculous costumes, or any other bullshit distractions to be seen at this show. Perhaps I’m just being bitter towards this new generation of electronic music, but at this show, Underworld’s MUSIC was the spectacle. Say what you will, but that’s the way it should be.
DJ SHADOW
The rumble of floor-quaking bass announced Joshua Paul Davis, aka DJ Shadow, to the Orbit tent.
Cuts from latest release The Mountain Will Fall came early in the set, a cavalcade of skittering beats, flitting between drum machine and deft flicks of the turntable. A constant stream of tripped-out graphics flooded the screens flanking the stage. Neither grandiose nor groundbreaking, the visuals nonetheless made a fitting companion to the show; understated and considered, much like DJ Shadow himself.
JEAN MICHEL JARRE
There must be few people over the age of twenty that have never heard at least part of a track at some time or another from Jean Michel Jarre, and the French producers music could probably not be more appropriate for Bluedot’s purpose.
Renowned for his live shows, he presented a fusion of impressive laser visuals, and masterful electric composition, delighting the crowd with some of his most famous tracks including Oxygene, part 4′ and Stardust.
CARIBOU
On record, Caribou is the solo project of Dan Snaith, but for a long time now, the live incarnation has been much more expansive. The most recent iteration is a four-piece band including Ryan Smith, Brad Weber, and John Schmersal. This creates a sort of duality for the project, but not the one you would expect
The band, clad in all white formed almost a circle and while all bands need to feed off each other to play, the four of them seemed to create a life force of music, each of them pushing the boundaries of the rest of them. Snaith, while being a literal genius (he has a doctorate in mathematics from Imperial College London) also is a musical genius. He plays the keyboard/synths while switching up and drumming on most of the songs as well on top of singing lead vocals. Watching him set loops and play intricate patterns to layer against one another is quite hypnotising. An impressive array of lights was synchronized with the live renditions of tracks like Odessa and Silver.
Of course, the set built to its expected main-set closer, Can’t Do Without You, a befitting end to the festival.
It’s not often a new festival succeeds without any hiccups. However, as a concept Bluedot was not only unique, but utterly brilliant due to the fact the backdrop, staging and lineup was spot on. With Bluedot 2017 already confirmed, we can’t wait to see what’s in store next year!
