SET LIST: OutsideIn Festival 2013
For its second active year, Astral People and Yes Please Records again wooed us over with their phenomenal OutsideIn festival.
Sydney's 2012 OUTSIDEIN festival came in with a bang. The venue worked, the acts were brilliant and the crowd absolutely loved every second of it, applauding Astral People, Yes Please Records and all the bands and other crew involved for all their outstanding efforts.
Considering the boutique festival's debut was such a success it only made sense to run OutsideIn again; deeming it an annual occasion!
Naturally, the lead-up to the festival experienced both the good and the bad, particularly when crafting the inevitably stellar lineup; yet having international acts Knxwledge and headliner Zomby pull out right before show time. As predicted though, Astral People dealt with this promptly and professionally, bringing in Hermitude to close the night and cancelling the Sunday all ages event for two incredible sideshows. As far as the punter's eye goes, this all seemed to work out just fine, resulting in an amazing sold out festival followed by a second chance to catch some of the festival's acts over the next few nights for a much smaller price.
Though Thom Yorke didn't decide to show up this year, 2013 was well equipped with some phenomenal OutsideIn moments, the most brilliant probably being the Since I Left You Project, but we'll get to that later.
Plug into the latest music with our FREE weekly newsletter
Held at the Factory Theatre, the Main Stage and Factory Floor were again used as the main rooms, however the Courtyard was utilised much more effectively this time round, as the decks shifted from the corner of the outside area to the back fence, now sandwiched between the staircase and the outside bar. This simple change allowed the Courtyard performers more of a central focus, which ended up attracting a much larger audience; so full it was almost impossible to cut through the crowd! Besides this though, the proximity of the three main areas again allowed accessibility in getting from one stage to another; proving that the Factory Theatre is a great venue for such an event (not to mention how easy it is to travel to).
Although the stages were running behind schedule, it kind of had its perks as the first act we caught for the day (who we would have missed otherwise) was Movement. Playing the Factorys Main Stage, the Sydney three piece explored beats and synth patterns, immersing the half-full room in their sensual lullabies. This moment was captured nicely with the green and blue lighting, softly hitting the stages giant backdrop of a cubic grid to compliment OutsideIn's artwork. This piece was hoisted for the entire festival.
MOVEMENT 'US'
MOVEMENT 'FEELS REAL'
Melbourne three piece I'lls took to the Main Stage next, serenading their crowd with their dreamy, dense electronica made from a blend of samples and live instruments (with help from two extra members for their live show). Although they experienced some tech problems which at times morphed their fluffy sounds into a fuzzy mess, I'lls powered through their set, holding themselves together as if nothing had ever interfered with their charming delivery. They played a bunch of tracks, including material from their EP A Warm Reception that was released via Yes Please Records earlier this year, right after signing to the label.
I'LLS 'SPEAK LOW'
I'LLS 'PLANS ONLY DRAWN'
Walking outside from the Main Stage and into the Courtyard was like entering a whole new zone. Producing a sound pretty far away from the ambience that came from the previous two sets, Thomas Purcell - also known as Wave Racer geed his crowd up with his intrinsic, toy-like electronica. The energy from his tunes are definitely infectious, as everyone was left danced out, yet still in high spirits.
COSMO'S MIDNIGHT 'THE DOFFLIN' (WAVE RACER REMIX)
WAVE RACER 'STOOPID'
I should now probably mention that the music for each intermission was controlled by live DJs, rather than just a playlist rolling out of the speakers. Clunk and Sleepyhead went head to head to keep us going with a few bangers in the dark womb that is the Factory Floor.
TEENGIRL FANTASY 'CHEATERS' (JOHN TALABOT'S CLASSIC VOCAL REFIX)
Andras Fox and Oscar Key Sung were the next live act for the Factory Floor. Their collaboration of vocals and synth work flows really nicely together, as proved throughout their record Embassy Cafe. To see them perform against the multi-coloured laser beams spanning out from the ceiling and slightly lighting the [almost] pitch black den gave the whole environment a very seductive vibe.
ANDRAS FOX & OSCAR KEY SUNG 'WHAT THEY SAY
ANDRAS FOX & OSCAR KEY SUNG 'RUNNING LATE'
Earlier in this piece, I mentioned Since I Left You. Presented by Astral People, it's the project fronted by Jonti paying homage to The Avalanches' amazing debut record, also named Since I Left You. After its formation just three months ago, the super group (consisting of Jonti, Rainbow Chan and her sister, Polographia and a whole heap of other legends) gave it their absolute all, leaving the crowd bewildered with dropped jaws at just how ridiculously amazing their set was. With the exception of a few samples, everything was played live, including the spoken-word lyricism, and was performed in the form of a mash-up.
Absolutely astounding, it was a huge victory for not only OutsideIn, but Australian music as a whole!
THE AVALANCHES 'SINCE I LEFT YOU'
THE AVALANCHES 'RADIO'
THE AVALANCHES 'FRONTIER PSYCHIATRIST' (PERFORMED BY SINCE I LEFT YOU)
Back out in the Courtyard was Sydney DJs SlowBlow. Vibing with their crowd through the build up of blissful, smooth beats, the set fit into what OutsideIn promote wonderfully. Check out what I mean through this uploaded live mix of their's:
SLOWBLOW 'CHANGING SEASONS' (LIVE MIX)
One of the most hyped acts of the day was America's Badbadnotgood. Prior to the lineup announcement, the trio's involvement to the festival was initially extracted by Astral People in the form of a few clues, before being officially announced. The instrumental outfit's sound ricocheted throughout the room of the Main Stage, maintaining an interesting and sophisticated set through original tracks and a few covers.
BADBADNOTGOOD 'DMZ'
BADBADNOTGOOD 'PUTTY BOY STRUT' (FLYING LOTUS COVER)
BADBADNOTGOOD 'ROTTEN DECAY'
Sydney twins Cosmo's Midnight tore up the Courtyard, sending out good vibes with original tracks (some coming off their debut EP Surge) and remixes, sustaining a refreshing sound that can only be called their own. Like I'lls, Cosmo's Midnight is another act on the Yes Please team, also having signed to the label earlier this year.
FLUME 'SLEEPLESS' (COSMO'S MIDNIGHT REMIX)
INDIAN SUMMER 'FOREIGN FORMULA' (COSMO'S MIDNIGHT REMIX)
COSMO'S MIDNIGHT 'THE DOFFLIN'
Last year we had Smoke DZA light up on the Main Stage, so who was to follow suit for 2013? LA's Freddie Gibbs of course! Initially decked out in a red tracksuit, it didn't take long for the rapper to lose both his jacket and top. Blurting out lyrics super quickly, the artist impressed those who were watching he and his producer behind him.
FREDDIE GIBBS 'LAY IT DOWN'
FREDDIE GIBBS FEAT. KRAYZIE BONE & SPACEGHOSTPURRP 'KUSH CLOUD'
To send off OutsideIn 2013, Hermitude put on a fuelled show to the packed out room of the Main Stage. An Aussie outfit we all know and love, the guys performed to their utmost potential, lighting the faces of many with parts of their sleek and ridiculously fun catalogue. If you're yet to check Hermitude out live, don't even dare question your next opportunity. They know how to party!
HERMITUDE 'HYPERPARADISE'
HERMITUDE 'GET IN MY LIFE'
HERMITUDE 'SPEAK OF THE DEVIL'
Astral People and Yes Please Records should be excessively proud of themselves as OutsideIn this year definitely followed the success of its debut event, proving its worth in Australia's live music climate. A truly phenomenal day, let's hope it runs for many more years to come!
Words by Hannah Galvin. Photo credit to Voena.
SEE ALSO:
More From Our Network
