Live Review: Emma Louise, Fractures, Mezko

Mezko were somewhat betrayed by their mix tonight. That, and the typically spartan attendance associated with being at the front end of a three-act line-up. Dealing in a muscular and memorable strand of electro-noise, the Sydney pair’s coruscating guitar noise and industrial-strength electronics were unfortunately blurred together in an overly loud mix that robbed their work of dynamic and left it echoing through a semi-deserted venue. A pity. Their brutish psychedelic dance noise deserves to be heard.

Fractures fared better. While seemingly boasting a similarly overdriven mix, Mark Zito’s intricate arrangements and dreamy melodies actually benefit from a slightly rawer airing – the volume of the mix blending together the shimmering layers, static-laden electronics and more conventional piano, vocal and guitar lines into a breathless rush of feeling and texture. The only hiccup with proceedings would be that while Zito’s songs are all remarkably strong from an individual perspective, his tendency towards a certain aesthetic (namely; post-Kid A Radiohead rocktronica) comes dangerously close to growing monotonous by the conclusion of his set.

Emma Louise, by contrast, was full of surprises. It’s startling to think how much the young singer-songwriter has grown over the past five years. When first branching out from her initial folk-based songwriting and into electronics, Louise’s work felt uncertain. Especially so, in a live environment. In interviews, she’s openly admitted she actually thought of retiring from music altogether after her 2013 debut – but tonight’s set showcased an artist of profound guts and ambition, operating at the peak of her (considerable) powers. It’s a testament to the strength of her new material that the ubiquitous Jungle felt somewhat crude in comparison.