Live Review: Nautiluss, Black Tiger Sex Machine and Diplo at Igloofest 2012

Photo courtesy of Cindy Boyce for Nightlife.ca

I really tried to keep my expectations reasonable when going to see Diplo at Igloofest due to him being notoriously eclectic. Although you may think you’re not familiar with his work, chances are you’ve heard at least one song he’s had a hand in producing. He’s the man behind record label Mad Decent, one half of Major Lazer, the driving force behind M.I.A.’s early career and not to mention his countless production credits (think: Chris Brown, Nicola Roberts, Beyoncé, Robyn, Kid Cudi, the list is endless). This all definitely came into play during his almost 2 hour set on Thursday night, but more about that in a bit.

First up, a local double bill. I actually made it early enough to catch the first set of the night byNautiluss and it started off the night quite well. It can’t be easy being the first act due to their being a significantly smaller pool of people to appreciate it. Any DJ will tell you that it takes two to tango, and without the energy of the crowd to fuel you, you have to be doubly dedicated. So hat’s off to him tor being solid throughout. VJ collective BRILLE² were back once more, offering a completely different set of visuals than they did on the 14th.

Photo courtesy of Black Tiger Sex Machine

I can guarantee you’ll be hearing a lot about Black Tiger Sex Machine, having already racked up quite an enviable track record in the past few years. They were clearly excited about the prospect of playing Igloofest, premiering some brand new and amazing headgear. Donning their new, light-up tiger helmets, they knew who they were playing for and clearly tailored to their sensibilities which was a smart move. I will say that a lot of the tracks played felt a bit dated but the crowd absolutely loved the set.

Photo courtesy of Eva Blue

Now back to Diplo. He certainly knows how to make an entrance, kicking off his set with a series of electro bangers, including some Basement Jaxx and his own collaboration with Tiësto, C’mon. My friend and I made a mental checklist of the music his set would include and we nailed it. Some Major Lazer? Check. Azealia Bank’s 212? Check. R&B and Hip Hop? Check. Drum ‘n Bass influences? Check. A strong dubstep presence? Triple check. The night was a bit dubstep heavy, but that seemed to please most of the crowd. I, on the other hand, was starting to suffer from some mild dubstep-fatigue by the end of the night. There were quite a few throwbacks including some grunge and a nice nod to Etta James who recently passed away. After many “IGLOOFEEEEEST”s and “MONTREAAAAAL”s and an extra 15 minutes of music, Diplo bade Montreal goodbye and headed over to Velvet to finish the night.

The Igloofest weekend seemed poised for some more record-breaking as literally ALL the tickets for Saturday’s finale were completely sold out by 4pm. I can only imagine what the infatigable team will come up with next year! Meanwhile, we have the Piknic Électronik lineup and a summer full of outdoor dancing to look foward to.

ArthurScott.ca

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