I’d made the mistake last year of not attending any concerts as part of the Vivid LIVE festival in Sydney, and as a result missed The Cure play their first three albums live and in full, so this year I vowed not to make the same mistake twice. My first choice was Sydney experimental-electro trio Seekae, and managed to get my self two tickets to the sold-out performance, and boy was I glad I did.
Seekae has been apart of the Sydney live scene since their first album, The Sound of Trees falling on People, was met by great acclaim upon its release in 2008 with a sound that can be compared to other experimentalists Caribou and MillionYoung. Since then Seekae have been busy building a reputation to be reckoned with, playing with the likes of PVT, Mount Kimbie and Cloud Control also taking on the international stage as of late with the release of their second album +DOME being accepted with great delight amongst elusive electro enthusiasts.
I was pleasantly surprised when Seekae took to the stage accompanied by an 8-piece string section to complement the first part of the performance. No doubt the chance to play at Vivid is an opportunity for the trio to show what they are capable of with the experience clearly outlining that Seekae are finally getting the recognition they deserve. This is evident as they begin their first song met by an audience that doesn’t take their eyes off the stage, this continues through the entirety of their performance.
What begun as a soothing introduction into the evening continued to develop into showcase of experimental electronica that seemed to mesmerize the crowd, which thankfully began to feel comfortable expressing their appreciation of the performance as the formal atmosphere of the Opera House began to loosen. With a gig that the majority of attendees were twenty-something’s, it was extremely interesting to see the reactions of an audience that had an urge to dance to the deep and atmospheric sounds of Seekae be restricted by reserved seating, if anything I think it was this dynamic that the audience demographic wouldn’t have been used to, which made the evening all the more special.
The crowd welcomed the performance of Seekae’s newest work ‘Yech’ again continuing to lure everyone’s gaze to the stage as each song pleasantly flowed into the next. The showcasing of their newest songs were expertly executed despite the obvious expectations of a high class performance that goes without say at Vivid, which the boys continued to uphold throughout the performance, as the Vivid performance being their biggest show to date.
The evening continued to impress, as the trio played a mixture of their two albums in combination with their newest ventures as the sound and execution of each song was magic to the ears. Although; in spite of this, you could hear uncertainty occasionally in a few components of some songs as they seemingly felt un-finished or disjointed from the flow of the rest of the performance, but if anything it is exciting to imagine that the band still have room to develop their sound further.
Seekae left the stage and returned for an anticipated encore that thankfully met the expectations of the many the Seekae fans in the crowd, playing their always inspiring hit Void. The encore gave the crowd one last memorable moment and ending to a beautiful evening, which left you feeling elevated and excited, especially leaving the Opera House accompanied by the incredible visual experience that is Vivid.
Words by Grace O
Photo by Prudence Upton
