In The Mosh 003: First Beige Launches Oscillate
Words by Joshua Bowling
Fresh from the release of single ‘BBL’, members of First Beige took to the stage on May the 13th to perform at the first instalment of their improvised electronic series Oscillate. Supported by local beatmaker El Delpha and DJ’s Tejavu, Cain Robertson and Troy Doolan the night was a hypnotic exploration of funk, soul and electronic music.
Arriving at LaLa Land (FKA The Foundry) to a dense mass of punters locked in a groove was a welcome sight. Despite being postponed once due to a snap Queensland lockdown, the event was at capacity and the energy of the room was high. Savouring the unpredictability of improvisation, El Delpha opened the night with a strong set of long and loose jams. The Spare Time Collective don held the groove on the floor for an hour, impressing with rubbery bass tones and lush pads before a seamless flow to the first transition DJ.
Following Cain Robertson’s tasteful selection of disco and rare grooves, Oscar Borschman, David Versace and Jasper Gundersen took to their seats with their equipment. Floating Points-esque lead filled the air as the members of First Beige slowly built a serene atmosphere. From these opening notes it was clear that the audience was in for something special as the trio effortlessly moved from ambience to riffing on a motif against broken-beats. Peaks and valleys of the set were directed by Oscar’s versatile drum-machine programming, with ebbs-and-flows of crowd energy keenly gauged and guided.
Accompanied by Jasper on the tambourine, shaker, snare and congas (channeling contemporaries Mildlife and Godtet), the band picked up the tempo. The disco-inflected four-to-the-floor rhythms kept punters moving as the disco ball scattered rays of red light around the room. David switched between his synthesisers, playing jazz-infused chord progressions and smooth lead melodies. The synth tones of the night were sublime. The flow of the set was seamless as the trio wove arpeggios with improvised rhythms, building and stripping back layers of rehearsed elements while leaving plenty of room for keybed wandering.
The band finished with an extended jam based on a blissful progression and the audience showed their appreciation for the amazing display of musicianship. The members of First Beige left the smoky stage and Tejavu and Troy Doolan (of Sycco and Great Sage respectively) finished the night with an energetic B2B selection of techno and electronica. Despite the cold weather and Thursday scheduling, Oscillate proved there is a healthy appetite for this brand of electronic music in Brisbane.
Oscillate will return to LaLa Land on July 1st with performances from First Beige, Dream Coast and Squidgenini (DJ Set).
