Delphic @ UniBar, Adelaide(02/08/10)

Tue 3rd Aug, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Manchester’s Delphic are an easy act to overlook. They’re amidst a glut of indie electro bands, especially coming from England and on paper they don’t offer anything new or unexpected.

But don’t get hung up on it. They certainly haven’t if tonight’s live show was anything to go by. In a set which pulsated and swept up its audience like a dream will go down as one of the best in recent times for a lot of people. Like their Australian peers Midnight Juggernauts, Grafton Primary and Cut Copy, Delphic have fantastic cutting edge sounds, great full synths and strong effects. Unlike the afore mentioned acts they just hit you with pure ambient melody virtually all the way through. Everything sounds at once lush and sweet. The singer is clear and emotive and not washed out by ambience or vocoders. These guys are clearly substance over style.

Sure, half the sounds are automated loops and samples, triggered by electronic drum pads or keys. But this is 2010 and these things are no longer frowned upon. The fact is the way the band used their electronic tools to blend their tracks together seamlessly allowed the set to maintain momentum beautifully. The manipulation of keys and electric drum pads by the synth player was essentially the key to the performance. The sound was full and dense washing over the room..

The stand out tracks were clearly Doubt, which surprisingly came in early in the set and the fantastic Centrepoint which translated brilliantly live. The latter has an ethereal dream like quality and allowed the audience to drift into another realm. All in all a fantastic performance by a band at the top of their game.

Special mention must also go to main support act The Swiss who undoubtably will continue to win accolades as a funky electro-house live band and the best live act in this town. Tony Mitolo’s drumming is still exceptional and the band’s grooves, as always were infectious and compelling. Cosmo Black with an ex-band mate of The Swiss boys was also relatively impressive with a distinct Melbourne electro sound, one that will be hard to distinguish from their contemporaries.

All in all a fantastic night, especially given the start of the working week. Delphic are definely an act worth seeing multiple times. One which puts our own indie-electro acts to shame.