The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMusicLive music

Blue Hawaii at Pickle Factory

Blue Hawaii at Pickle Factory | Live review
22 November 2017
Selina Begum
Avatar
Selina Begum
22 November 2017

Music review

Selina Begum

Blue Hawaii at Pickle Factory

★★★★★

Links

Twitter Facebook Instagram Soundcloud Website

Canadian duo Blue Hawaii, (Raphaelle Standell-Preston and Alex “Agor” Kerby) return to London, playing the intimate Pickle Factory, tucked away behind a busy corner of Bethnal Green. They both appear on stage after a slight delay, having experienced every musician’s nightmare: a busted electribe emx1 adapter aka the drum machine.

The first song of the evening, Free at Last, taken from their 2017 album Tenderness, takes us into club music genre. The muted samples slowly build up, reflecting the simplicity and calmness of the title, with Preston’s vocals passing effortlessly on its buoyancy. Saxophone samples offer a jazz-like quality to what is essentially a chilled dance jam. Blending into the popular hit Versus Game, it is easy to see why Blue Hawaii have such a passionate fan base. Kerby’s samples are addictive to say the least, and he knows just how to build the anticipation before the eventual drop. There is a clear 90s vibe to their sound, but they manage to produce something that is also very current. The lyrics and music work perfectly well together, bridging the gap between pop and electronic, with shots of house and rave. Versus Game could easily become a classic club hit, with the right DJs playing it, while Belong to Myself brings the tone down a little, creating a low tempo in which Preston’s vocals reach striking crescendos.

In Two, from their last album, Untogether (2011), dedicated to the “original Blue Hawaii fans”, is also an ambient track, with a looped beat, whilst Searching for You transports us into a softened garage genre tune. With the addition of saxophone samples, there is a serene Balearic mood that is Blue Hawaii’s signature sound. The live performance has a different vibe and energy to the recorded version, as it should, proving that the pair translate their tunes well to a live set. Do You Need Me is a good example of this, with the addition of bongo drum samples, which Kerby put together in a very short amount of time. Disco number No One Like You represents what is at the core of what this duo are about: gentle club music that gradually builds to a satisfying beat. Completing the set with Try to Be, Preston and Kerby have captured the audience in creating tracks with an ethereal and light quality, combining haunting sentimental lyrics with cool danceable rhythms. Preston understands her vocals well while he is a maestro on the samples, and together they create sumptuous music. Though no instruments, in the classic term, are played tonight, the performance shows the Canadians really do have a talent in creating blissful ambient pop with gorgeous beats.

A quote from their time creating the Untogether album cover perfectly captures the spirit of Blue Hawaii: “…the idea of holding somebody, but not really getting at what is going on at their core…” It is this elusive quality in their sound that makes the duo well worth seeing live.

★★★★★

Selina Begum
Photo: KEXP

For further information and future events visit the Blue Hawaii website here.

Watch the video for No One Like You here:

Related Itemslive musicreview

More in Live music

Adele lights up Hyde Park for BST Festival

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo

★★★★★
Diletta Lobuono
Read More

The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Sarah Bradbury
Read More

Eagles bring a nostalgia-laden evening to the BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium

★★★★★
Bev Lung
Read More

Elton John sparkles on his Farewell tour at BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

Twenty One Pilots at Brixton Academy

★★★★★
Regan Harle
Read More

Imagine Dragons at MK Stadium

★★★★★
Katherine Parry
Read More

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Kenwood House

★★★★★
Francis Nash
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Music review

Selina Begum

Blue Hawaii at Pickle Factory

★★★★★

Links

Twitter Facebook Instagram Soundcloud Website

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Brian and Charles
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Black Bird
    ★★★★★
    apple
  • The End of the Night at Original Theatre Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Throne at Charing Cross Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • “We really wanted to create a cabbage gun”: An interview with David Earl and Chris Hayward stars of Brian and Charles
    Cinema & Tv
  • Flamenco Festival 2022 at Sadler’s Wells
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Black Bird
    ★★★★★
    apple
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Adele lights up Hyde Park for BST Festival
    ★★★★★
    Live music
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

The Star | Movie review
Starvecrow | Movie review