Iamamiwhoami at Brixton Electric

As if recreating one of their videos, Iamamiwhoami bring the beats, style, mystery and drama that garnered their Internet notoriety to the stage of Brixton Electric in South London. A collaborative effort with Swedish singer-songwriter Jonna Lee at the centre, the project encompasses experimental, new wave, and synth-pop rhythms with creative visual imagery that captivated the online community in 2009 when her first videos were released. 

In a similar imaginative fashion, the backdrop of this performance sees a giant cube take centre stage.  It glows pale orange, dims and fades to white, filling with smoke as Lee enters.  She characteristically struts on stage with her slow-paced, exaggerated movements and stands before the cube, showcasing her silhouette. The introductory sounds fade and Lee opens with O; her strong vocals bring an operatic quality to the song that is made only more appealing by the drummer using rag-covered sticks on the kit to hollow out the sound.  The result is a unique mix of synths and bass that gets the audience fired up as Lee reaches out to the crowd with dramatic, familiar gestures.  

Good Worker really has fans moving, dancing with high energy as the venue’s overhead lights brighten to the chorus of “ready for some further use, denial is a virtue”.  Her strong following is evident as those at the lip of the stage try to touch her, kissing her hands as she moves closer to the edge. When the band covered popular material from Lee’s albums, Bounty and Kin, the cube flashed vibrant red, blue and green, reflecting the tone and mood of each track.

The concept of articulate and thought-provoking lyrics laid over dance, techno and house beats is quite unique but Iamamiwhoami’s show, while well-received, lacks variety.  Apart from the visual effects, many of the tunes sound somewhat similar. But the fan base could not be less concerned.  During her performance of t, Lee is crowned by an audience member with a headpiece made of foil, identical to the one she wears in the video. 

They came to see live what they have been watching online and even after the encore is heard, they stick around chanting for more. 

Natasha Fonseka
Photos: Laramie Shubber

For further information and future events visit Iamamiwhoami’s website here.

Watch the video for t here: