To promote their fresh material from September’s album Love What Survives the electronic ‘post-dubstep pioneers’, Mount Kimbie, assembled at Bristol’s most renowned venue – Motion. With the packed hall accentuated by rustic lights hanging from the ceiling that intermittently flashed, and the rumbling overtone of ambient dance music in the interval, the atmosphere grew to one of anticipation and excitement. Intercepting the stage early on, support came from Kelly Lee Owens. First impressions showed her set to be somewhat bleak, though after 2 or 3 songs, the set completely changed pace and almost morphed into a club DJ performance, with a particular highlight being the tribalistic track ‘Bird’.
Framed by elegant and transfixing lighting, Mount Kimbie emerged on stage, introducing themselves with a euphoric rendition of ‘Four Years and One Day’ – a track which, in a live capacity, excels itself with a beguiling amalgamation of musical layering and a predominant bass line. As the final note rang out, the band swiftly moved into the off-beat and aquatic sounding ‘Audition’, before mellowing out for ‘Marilyn’. Continuing with their thematic mission of playing newer songs, ‘You Look Certain (I’m Not Sure)’ upheld the danceable capacity of the set.
Drifting into some older material, surprisingly, tracks including ‘Before I Move Off’ and ‘Break Well’ were not met with the same degree of exultation as some of the newer tracks that were filtered in throughout the evening. In contrast, the outing of ‘Delta’ and their collaboration with King Krule, ‘Blue Train Lines’, were the most well received performances of the band’s set. After wrapping up their main mission, Mount Kimbie were summoned back on stage for one final broadcast, and rounded off with ‘Made To Stray’ – a closer that left the crowd in seventh heaven.
Mount Kimbie are not a household name, but their cult-ish following is one to be desired. Having worked with the likes of King Krule and James Blake, the London-based group have the capability to go further, with the question being more of a ‘When?’ than a ‘How?’.
Tickets for Mount Kimbie’s remaining tour dates are available via their website.
Words by Jasmin Robinson
