Over two nights the legendary likes of Âme, George FitzGerald, Autechre, CC:DISCO! and Giant Swan turned the Royal Exhibition Building into a living, breathing, writhing music venue like few you'll ever see again.
The highlight, however, was Max Cooper – a visionary audio-visual artist who produced one of the most captivating, utterly enchanting sets this scribe ever saw, the result of a superbly constructed dual projector screen set up, which created a 3D effect.
The visual effect was very well done, to the point where you wished that Cooper hadn’t been the only artist to use it. But far more important was the digital art itself, a highly emotive omniscient perspective journey through various world settings, some man-made, some natural.
You felt as if you were travelling above the world, through time, and the progress and overwhelming impact of mankind upon the world – when combined with Cooper’s music, which I was unfamiliar with but was incredibly moving, highly reminiscent of John Hopkins – created an effect that at one stage almost brought me to tears. I can’t definitively say I’ve ever had that sensation before at a concert, particularly not at an artsy kind of rave.
Giant Swan was hard-hitting techno at its best and Autechre was a unique experience to say the least, but I just wish I could pay to watch Max Cooper play again and again and again.
The next night, German techno/house producer Âme performed an original and unpredictable live techno set, while UK electronic musician, DJ and producer George FitzGerald imparted his mood and atmospheric style of club productions. CC:DISCO! – Melbourne’s first lady of disco – made for a joyous homecoming, alongside the bold and eclectic sonic stylings of Ayebatonye, rounded out with one of Brisbane’s finest selectors, DJ and Yuggera woman, dameeeela.
It was transcendental and monumental and I’d never experienced a club night like it before.
To learn more about Now or Never, taking place in Melbourne until September 2, head here.
