It's fair to say that Aberdeen isn't a city usually associated with being at the forefront of electronic music or clubbing. In a way, however, that makes the events such as Do It!—which recently hosted Glaswegian producer Auntie Flo—all the more special. Credit has to go to Snafu for ensuring that the idea of electronic music being "grim up North" is not yet set in stone, as the venue has brought quality acts to a small yet dedicated audience for the past seven years. Do It! promoter (and, full disclosure, a sometime RA scribe) Alexander Horne had decided to bring the regular party to a close on its third birthday and focus his energy on a new record label. To bow out on a high, the night hosted the new live performance by Auntie Flo and a last minute set from Hyperdub's Ikonika, drafted in to replace dEbruit after a short notice cancellation.
Photo credit: Campbell Montgomery
Auntie Flo is Scottish DJ and producer Brian D'Souza. He's enjoyed success this year with his singles "Highlife" and "Oh My Days," both released on the new Huntley + Palmers imprint. It was arguably "Oh My Days" that secured D'Souza's place in the latest wave of "one to watch" lists. Well-deserved hype aside, the record has been supported by the likes of Jackmaster and Ricardo Villalobos as well as receiving the remix treatment from Pearson Sound and Alejandro Paz.
On stage, D'Souza was joined by Esa Williams, a South African artist who lended his talents to the percussion duties. MPCs were loaded with samples and live vocals were laced in between frantic live drumming. The entire performance was well received, with the highlights including the crowd joining in with the punctuating handclaps of "Goa," the low synth intro of "Oh My Days" and an edit of "Good Name" by William Oneyeabor, which provided the brilliant finale. The crowd seemed to be expecting a few more peaks in the performance, but this is a live show very much in its infancy (only its forth outing). Given time, this could very well emerge as one of the strongest, stripped back live shows around.
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