Grammy-winning producer, musician, Flume came to play at Red Rocks on this perfect summer night...as did all the 17 year olds that follow him and his tunes. But I mean, who can blame them? 25 year old Harley Edward Streten is an Australian pioneer in electronic music, especially in his genre of future bass. His latest release was a 2nd companion EP to his 2016 Skin, which was his second full length album.
Openers Touch Sensitive and BAAUER really set the mood for what was to come, Touch Sensitive being more on the downtempo side, playing bass and awing the crowd. BAAUER really brought the trap, bass, and dubstep that got the teens around me very obviously pumped. Apparently BAAUER is the guy who made the Harlem Shake, and he did play a solid ten second tribute to it near the end of his set, because even he obviously knows it’s terrible.
A silk screen with the artwork of Alec Maasen hung as a barrier between Flume’s elaborate series of illuminated cubes. Maasen is a well-known digital and visual artist who’s done a variety of work with names like ZHU, Intel x Lady Gaga, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Tchami. He does brilliant 3D and live motion work and his talent is wonderfully showcased on Flume’s tour. Flume was assembled in a booth made of illuminated squares that were replicated above him and projected upon throughout the show. The visuals were tight, to say the least, and it’s obvious that electronic artists are stepping up their game to create an immersive audio/visual experience for the viewer.
The set included fan favorites, as well as remixes from peers like Jai Wolf and RL Grime. Flume also dropped some heavily experimental synthesizer bits and things I didn’t recognize, which is always pleasant. There was a point when I found myself thinking, "I’m too old for this.", simply because of the heavy dubstep, the set would change into a more melodic, familiar territory. The man knows his crowd, and can definitely put on a party. Not only was there a nice variety of his work, but Flume had fun and you could tell because he partied with us and put on a great show. 8/10
Words and photos: Lina Skrzypczak