HEALTH | Review | Melbourne | The Forum | 20th September
As a fan of King Yosef since around 2018, I was really excited to finally see him perform in person, and he most definitely lived up to expectations. From the very beginning, his combination of blackened industrial noise and hardcore set the right atmosphere and got the crowd banging their heads right away. He struck a good balance in the act by inserting these almost dreamy electronic passages between the intense industrial parts, which caused half the audience to start dancing the two-step. With the constant low bass and the people moving about, their heart rates increased, and the temperature inside the Forum rose rapidly; it was actually getting hot in there. The forthcoming headline performance of his at The Old Bar is going to be even more chaotic in such a small venue, and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what the project has in store next.
I've always had a great enthusiasm for electronic music, having been exposed to it throughout my entire life, particularly during the mid-2000s electronica era and at the height of dubstep. Yet I hadn't actually come across Perturbator prior to this performance, although their music incorporates elements of metal, industrial, darkwave, and synthwave. It instantly transported the entire room into a cyberpunk world filled with cold synth patterns and a strong, pulsing bass. It was amazing to see them achieve such a powerful sound using just two synthesizers and a large drum kit since the audio had a massive presence. The live acoustic drums gave the electronic songs a real physical impact that struck you right in the ribs and it's fair to say that I was completely won over by the first track; it was incredible to watch the whole Forum floor turn into a sea of moving people.
When the room was properly warmed up, the excitement about HEALTH was all around. The house lights were switched off and the band came out playing the Neon Genesis Evangelion theme through the PA, something which shows exactly how well they know their audience. As soon as they had collected their equipment, they launched straight into Vibe Cop, a thick, groovy and dark song that got the floor moving right away. The crowd quickly turned into a writhing pit without any real need for encouragement. Jake Duzsik's smooth and ethereal vocal tone set over huge, harsh industrial beats is in fact the perfect formula for people who like to cry as they dance. At the same time, Johnny was performing on stage with endless energy using his bass and electronics.
Supporting this with a crystal clear live mix and a lighting setup that was perfectly synchronized with each beat, HEALTH once more demonstrated why their live performance is at a higher level. It was a great way to conclude a huge night of intense electronic music and surely one of the best sets to have taken place in Melbourne this year.
