Somewhere at the crossroads of 90s video game soundtracks and Waka Flocka Flame stands Ryan Hemsworth . The young Canadian producer is a hot prospect, after turning out stellar remixes of Frank Ocean and Grimes , being named one of 2012′s producers to watch by Fact Magazine, and signing with WeDidIt Music (home to Shlohmo and RL Grime ). His beats, with one foot in the hood and one foot in, I dunno, outer space, have caught the ear of cloud-rap demi-gods Main Attrakionz , and his new Last Words EP looks set to capitalize on the craze for inventive hip-hop productions that’s been sweeping this nation’s clubs. His Melbourne gig was a chance to see a young talent and a fresh style of production, both on the cusp of something huge.
It was my first time at B.East , which is a yuppie burger joint on Lygon Street. The space turns nicely into a small venue once the stage curtain is pulled aside and the trestle tables are pushed back, and hopefully this will be the first of many intimate gigs with exciting internationals. B.East should be applauded for putting on live music in these dark times, especially an adventurous bill like this one—as I walked in, Ego was playing a stripped down A/V set going from Missy Elliottto dubstep. It was something new, but maybe didn’t get the reception it deserved from the many patrons still munching on fries.
You would have been foolish to expect a bigger reaction from a crowd so keenly focused on Ryan Hemsworth . The guy is like some kind of heartthrob of alternative hip-hop, and I doubt B.East has ever had such a hip and rowdy clientele as they did this night. Visual artist Chronic Sans provided the psychedelic backdrop for Hemsworth (complete with ubiquitous Supreme cap) to lay down his washy, hazy beats.
One thing was clear straight away—the “(DJ SET)” tacked onto the poster wasn’t a disclaimer. Hemsworth is an intuitive DJ, naturally raising and dropping the tempo, teasing the crowd with snippets, and blending tracks seamlessly. His taste lies in that sweet spot between the dreamy and the dancey, innovation that you can still feel on the floor. There were few easy hits, and the set was heavy with exclusives and obscure tracks, a risk that paid off. When he did play a few anthems (TNGHT’s “ Bugg’n “, Lil B ‘s “ I Own Swag “, Waka’s “Rooster In My Rari”), the crowd exploded. Hemsworth returned the love, squeezing in some Frank Ocean by request, and hanging around for ages after the gig talking with fans.
From a quick scroll through Facebook and Twitter, it seems most people had as much fun as I did, with the crowd described as “a bunch of kids who forget to take their Ritalin”. It’s just the Hemsworth effect, I guess. Next time he’s out here, expect him to be playing somewhere bigger than a burger bar.
REVIEW BY
MATT NIELSON
WORDS BY Matt Nielson
Comments
Thanks for the review Matt, however you seem to be confused over what constitutes a yuppie. That would be south of the river. In a lexus. I, my staff and my clientele are offended, confused, thirsty and confused again by the comment. Importantly we have a great and continuous line up of music here that has seen many ‘hip’ and more rowdy parties than you could possibly fit on the back of a fixie. You should have been there Saturday night for lamine sonko and the african intelligence gig. Twice as big and twice as rowdy. Beast regards, Maz.