Flume – The Observatory – July 13, 2014

By: Alfonso Delgado
Flume
The Observatory
7/13/14

I shouldn't have expected a mellow show.

Flume (aka Harley Edward Streten, but really, who's going to remember that mouthful of a name?) is an up-and-coming DJ out of Australia labeled by some as “chillstep,” but don't let that deceive you. He knows how to energize and excite a crowd, and mixes well enough to keep up with most (if not all) DJs today.

Flume kicked it off immediately with what has recently become an instantly recognizable tune, “Sleepless” (featuring Jezzabell Doran). The bass throbbed melodically and the crowd settled into an excited rhythm, heads bobbing. He transitioned into “The Greatest View,” a track he rarely performs, smoothly and the crowd responded with a trance-like step.

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When “Holdin' On” (featuring Chet Faker) started in, the crowd collectively lost it. As the lights flared and the bass pounded, shaking the walls, arms swayed in sync with the music. Splashes of purple light bounced off the walls, illuminating the ecstatic crowd.

“Insane” followed soon after. Another of Flume's singles, this prompted the crowd to sing along, serving as a summertime anthem of sorts. With backing audio courtesy of Moon Holiday and a steady crescendo leading up to the chorus, the song climaxed with the crowd belting their hearts out.

Flume's remix of “Tennis Court” by Lorde first appeared at Coachella and likewise showed up last night. Even the most macho of men in the audience couldn't help but sing along with the trippy, trance-like tune.

Then things got unexpectedly funky. Flume dropped a remix of DMX's party anthem “Party Up (Up in Here)” that had the crowd jumping up and down, enthused by a mixture of nostalgia and a few drinks. The venue shook and the lights flashed a bright blue throughout.

Soon enough, “More Than You Thought” came on, which slowed the crowd back down as hips swayed in the sharp red light. The crowd flowed with the rollercoaster of a tempo throughout the night, dancing more slowly (but no less enthusiastically) during this song.

Following was Flume's remix of “Hyperparadise” by Hermitude, one of the first songs the young DJ released a couple years ago that lead to his rapid rise to international fame. This song had the crowd swaying with the melodic vocal track. This served as the perfect segue for Flume's final song, his remix of Disclosure's “You and Me.” He ended the night with a bang, putting the cherry on top with this one. The crowd joined in, singing and swaying as they did with the other singles he performed.

Set List (slightly incomplete):
Sleepless
The Greatest View (ft Isabella Manfredi)
Holdin' On
Insane (ft Moon Holiday)
Tennis Court
Party Up (Flume remix)
More Than You Thought
Hyperparadise (Flume remix)
You & Me (Flume remix)

The Crowd: They looked straight out of a buzzfeed article. Crop tops and high-waisted shorts abounded, while guys were appropriately bearded, audibly voicing how they liked Flume ages ago, before he went platinum or sold out and played Coachella.

Random Notebook Dump: Shout out to the guy yacking his brains out before Flume even started for going hard on a Sunday night. Also, shout out to the girl who thought dancing is the same as flailing your arms around like a T-rex having a seizure. You're both the real MVPs.

Overheard: “Is that Disclosure?” “I hope he plays his Ellie Goulding remix!”

See also
10 Punk Albums to Listen to Before You Die
10 Goriest Album Covers
10 Most Satanic Metal Bands

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