Love Remain @ Bermondsey Social Club
Easy all.
Ham & I thought we’d write this Concert Review because what we attended last night has been a gig that has stuck out in the calendar (for us both) for a while now. As Arsenal couldn't quite pull it out the bag against City last night, I guess we could adequately frame this maybe as a match report, rather than a ‘Gig Review’.
Love Remain has been on the tip of Electric Avenue’s tongue since late November last year. Amongst the Fred Again maelstrom during Q4, we can all agree that Fred’s popularity grew quicker than you can say ‘Boiler Room’. The East wing was onto something that was a bit more ‘London’… something with an air of anonymity that was both intriguing and exciting in the UK underground sphere.
After a brilliant Clash Magazine Mix came the announcement of the first live gig, backed by Eat Your Own Ears (supporting some of the freshest acts in electronic music). Guestlist was swiftly requested and swiftly depleted when we soberingly realised quite the gravity of the occasion. So, JDooling.asst & MDSmith.asst grabbed their tote bags and made their merry way to Bermondsey Social Club.
After a few quick beers in a Milwall faithful pub, a chat with the management team a hide & seek with the venue entrance… we finally found the way in and took our spot to the left of the venue in front of the light technician. Amongst the 150pax crowd, out emerged a man, cap down covering his face, jostling through to get to the stage. After a few claps and woos, he got to work.
This performance was emblematic of London as we know it; Gritty, Calming & Magical. His music is composed of short sample chops from voice-notes by London locals, with sharp and carefully patterned drum kicks amongst otherworldly melodies. The aspect that intrigued us most is that this went straight to live; he could’ve easily stood there, pressed play on a pair of decks and messed around with the EQ’s, but the music deserved so much more than that.
It took a while for the connection between artist and crowd to really click, but as the night progressed this was soon forgotten about. He went up and down the BPM range as he performed his debut album ‘Still in Awe’ to the eager crowd before him, whilst also dropping in a selection of new music. He even invited two of the artists / poets that feature on the album to recite their lyrics; they, like him, emerged from the crowd and climbed onto the stage to grab the microphone. We heard everything from Jungle, Acid, Garage, Breaks and Synthy Modular-type sounds; all the electronic genres that have birthed from the UK.
What also made it feel that much more homely was that you could even hear the occasional train pass above our heads during and in between songs. They were working on a budget, but it played in their favour.
As live performances go, and given the nature of the event & the people that were in the crowd, there’s evidently some room for improvement, as with the ending of each song came a pause & a quick reach down to his laptop to plug the next composition into ableton. That aside, the quality of his production spoke for itself, and is the reason why the 150 people that were there were so eagerly awaiting his next move.
All the fantasising aside, and when the gig had ended, we came to the conclusion that Love Remain is certainly a very exciting prospect in UK dance music. He strikes the right balance between Jamie XX & Fred Again, and if the new music we heard is anything to go by, I think I can speak confidently for both Ham & I that we’re in for a treat with what’s to come. Definitely something worth keeping an eye on and having a listen to when you’re walking home from work.
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