Fresh off their amazing performance at Pitch Music and Arts Festival in Victoria’s Grampian plains, Welch electronic duo Overmono debuted in Naarm/Melbourne last night at Northcote Theatre. Brothers Tom and Ed Russell came together as Overmono in 2015, dropping their first EP under the name in 2016. With a stream of hit singles and EPs under their belt, the duo is primed to drop their first full-length album this may with Good Lies.
As it was my first time visiting the Northcote Theatre, I was keen to check out the venue and see what it had to offer. Featuring two accessible levels with a bar on each floor and a balcony watching over High Street, the theatre was like an old town hall refurbished like a giant nightclub suitable for the parties of the future. I’m keen to return for another gig as it definitely had a vibe I could get behind.
Opening for Overmono was Naarm based producer Kia combined shades of IDM, techno and trance, weaving together musical narratives that have granted them recognition from local and international labels. Lining up shows in Amsterdam, Norway and more later in the year, Kia is a name to be watched in the electronic scene, even with just a single track released on Spotify.
Next, we were blessed with the sounds and rhythms of Mparntwe/Alice Springs producer RONA. Featuring soundscapes that blend the background of country and place with emotionally packed synth melodies reminiscent of desert life mixed with club euphoria, RONA mixed in a good dose of drum and bass rhythm for good measure to get the energy flowing and the crowd moving.
Hitting the stage later in the evening, Overmono delivered a packed set of non-stop ragers. Combining intimate vocal samples, Kid-A-esque pad synths and booming two-step beats, the duo mixed between older material and key new album tracks with a focus on continuity. A track would slowly morph into another, with the vocal chop slowly coming into focus from the next track, and the audience screaming in delight in response. The push and pull created by the build towards catharsis acted as a brilliant narrative for the hour and a half DJ set.
The Welsh duo clearly have a love for dogs, with Dobermans being a staple of their new album art and tour imagery. Glitched out visuals of the dogs cuddling, fighting and running glowed on screen behind the DJs, with their slow-motion running acting as a counter to the fast grooves moving our feet.
Favourite tracks included Bby, Is U, So U Know, Bone Mics and their fantastic remix of For Those I Love’s anthem I Have a Love. Dancing to Overmono is a blissful feeling, like a rave on a cool summer night where the vibe is just right, and the company is perfect.