Meltdown Festival: Yukimi at Royal Festival Hall
The South Bank is extra beautiful during summer, made more so by the UK’s longest artist-curated music festival, Meltdown.
British rapper and Mercury prize nominee Little Simz selects this year’s acts, ranging from Ghetts and The Streets to James Blake, and tonight’s headliner, Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano.
Much of this evening’s performance showcases her debut solo album, For You, a deeply felt and personal body of work. As the concise Prelude for You takes us into the first soft notes of Make Me Whole, Yukimi enters, cool as a cat, despite the heatwave outside.
The album is for us just as much as it is for the Swedish-Japanese singer-songwriter. The band are on top form, with guitarist Agge and keyboardist André Roots particularly notable; Yukimi is also joined by long-time Little Dragon drummer Erik Bodin. Throughout the set, the singer is in joyous spirits, despite the pensive themes.
Early highlight Sad Makeup is a testament to Yukimi’s inner strength and dedication to her family, as she describes how the feelings can become so overwhelming. Her vocals are simultaneously light and airy, but also has the ability to be full-bodied and powerful. This is an album that is a love letter to nature, her family, and herself. Although it may not be as punchy as Little Dragon’s material (which is in a different genre in itself), For You is best experienced live.
Granting our silent desire, the ensemble play a Little Dragon song, the condition being it has to be Yukimi’s favourite, which is Pink Cloud, from the Grammy-nominated Nabuma Rubberband, a definite highlight. And if that isn’t enough, Yukimi and co give us a surprise rendition of Kate Bush’s anti-war song, Army Dreamers, delicate noodling of the guitar hauntingly beautiful, mirroring Yukimi’s ethereal voice.
As Erik teases, saying let’s bring out more people, surprise guest singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas joins them on stage, performing Stream of Consciousness, gracing us with their loving bond and producing the biggest applause tonight. The highlight of the encore is undoubtedly Jaxon (featuring De La Soul), a soulful tribute to Yukimi’s partner, and the father of her sons, who passed away.
Yukimi’s solo album is an experience of life, and a restrained but powerful journey of grief and the many temperaments that come with it, love, the foundation of all.
Selina Begum
Photos: Pete Woodhead
For further information and future events, visit Yukimi’s website here.
Watch the video for Break Me Down here:
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