SBTRKT

Brixton Academy, London (2^nd October)
With support from Raury and Denai Moore

What can I tell you about my history with SBTRKT? Well, I’ve loved SBTRKT (pronounced ‘subtract’) from the first time I heard Sampha‘s velvety vocals on Trials of the Past. In fact, I used to think that Sampha was very much part of the set up and he is often synonymous with the music for me – many early live shows heavily featured the solo artist – however this is not the case.

So who or what is SBTRKT? It is London-based producer, Aaron Jerome. Preferring to remain anonymous, you are probably more likely to recognise Jerome as the man behind the mask.

Having seen SBTRKT twice already this year (Primavera in May and Field Day in June), neither experience had lived up to my original live exposure – the NME tent at Reading Festival 2012.

I was apprehensive about tonight as I was joined by my friend Vish (Wendy was still lapping up the good times in Italy), who chose to join based on my recommendation. I wanted Vish to see the brilliance tonight that I had seen more than two years previously.

I needn’t have worried. Jerome was clearly excited to be playing the Academy (not a surprise, it is an incredible venue and one of my favourites) and returned to form, working his way through tracks both new and old. With collaborations aplenty, Jerome was joined on stage not just by Sampha (an obvious presence) but also by Raury and Denai Moore, both of whom were supporting him on the night.

Jerome enthusiastically bounced between his plethora of sound-making instruments (synthesisers, keyboards, drums, effects…), ensuring every last note was given his full attention. Keeping the crowd on their toes as to which direction he would choose to embrace next, a highlight of the night for me was always going to be Wildfire. A track featuring Little Dragon (who we recently saw play at the iTunes Festival), Wildfire is perhaps one of SBTRKT’s more recognisable hits.

By the end of the night, Vish was converted and I was happy SBTRKT had proved that the mask had not slipped and he was still more than capable of putting on a show I would recommend without hesitation.

SBTRKT’s new album, Wonder Where We Land, is out now.

Set list:

• Paper Cuts
• Never Never feat. Sampha
• Higher feat. Raury
• Hold On/ Migration feat. Sampha
• Look Away
• Pharaohs
• Highs and Lows
• Temporary View feat. Sampha
• Wildfire
• War Drums
• The Light feat. Denai Moore
• New Dorp New York
  Encore –
• Lotus Flower (Radiohead) Remix
• Something Goes Right feat. Sampha
• Right Thing To Do

Before I sign off, I have to ask – what is with this new trend of FaceTiming your friend into the gig?! Surely if they wanted to be there that badly then they would have bought a ticket in the first place. It’s just weird people – STOP!

 

Visit our Flickr page to see photo highlights from the night, and our YouTube channel where you can watch extracts from the show.
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You can also check out our Past Events page to see our music archives.

 

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