polaroids of androids

Caribou + Mountains In The Sky @ Hyde Park Barracks - 17/01/2008

The crowd for Caribou's Sydney Festival show last Thursday night was a unique blend of people who think Daniel Snaith is a frigging genius and those that got free tickets via some corporate connection. This created a strange dynamic as the room was filled with people who were either staring at the stage in amazement or suit and tie folks who were getting drunk on the mandatory Beck's and showing their friends their recent holiday snaps on their camera phone.

Melbourne's Mountains In The Sky opened things up with a set that smashed together frantic, hard-pounded drum beats with often atmospheric, space-age melodic movements. Much like Caribou, Mountains In The Sky exist on record as a one man studio project - by a guy called John Lee - which expands to a full band for live performances. Lee, who was joined on stage by drummer Stuart McFarlane, presented his home-made pieces in a very engaging way, doing more than enough to lift the crowd in preparation for the main event.

Combining tracks from his latest offering, Andorra, alongside a whole collection of older tunes Snaith and his three comrades mesmerized the packed house throughout their hour long set. The fantastic adaption of the songs from electronic computer-based rhythms to organic, living, breathing slaps of psychedelic bliss was faultless. Their sound completely filled the outdoor tent structure - full and precise - it even sounding amazing from the back of the room.

As they pulled themselves back onto the stage for an encore and temporarily increased the number of drummers from two to three for the brilliant chaotic climax, even those who were saying 'Cari-who' only fifty-five minutes earlier stopped their holiday photo presentation and got their minds well and truly blown.

Definitely one of the more rewarding - and simply amazing - shows from an international act that I have witnessed in some time.

Photos courtesy of Blake Thompson from Pang.