Half an hour after the scheduled start time, the punters packed into Troxy’s stalls are growing increasingly restless, their appetite for a boogie still unsatisfied. Bassvictim, the electronic duo who met as students at Goldsmiths and formed in 2022, are somewhat notorious for their less-than-punctual approach to live performances.
When the pair finally take to the stage, just after the clock strikes twelve, the delay has left me feeling rather like a Roman emperor awaiting a spectacle. After thirty minutes packed in like a sardine, my inner monologue booms with a single command: “Entertain us.” The air hangs thick with laser-lit smoke as the opening notes of “God I Wonder” ring out from the speakers.
The performance that follows is highly reminiscent of the sort of thing Crystal Castles were doing more than a decade ago. Producer and DJ Ike Clateman stands moodily behind the decks as a janky assortment of pulsating, sometimes ethereal beats pour out of the speakers, while Polish vocalist Maria Manow hops from one foot to the other, belting out lyrics into an Auto-Tuned microphone. During one interlude, she tells the crowd about the full-circle moment this show represents for her, ...