Live Review: Future Classic Showcase

Sydney dance label Future Classic has been keeping busy. Known primarily as the label behind wonder-kid Flume, these guys have a whole lot more to brag about. Showcasing their impressive string of talented artists for the first time in Perth, Future Classic curated a night of dirty disco and retro-tinged dance numbers at the Perth Festival gardens.

Opening to a relatively small crowd, the Future Classic DJs were tasked with the hard job of punctuating the gig. Keeping the crowd moving between four acts is no easy feat but the evening's DJ had everyone in raptures, dropping songs from Future Classic artists as well as international acts such as Sébastien Tellier, Mount Kimbie and Little Dragon with equal skill.

The first live act on the stage was Perth's own Scenic. The four local indie lads provided the local pull needed to generate a crowd and the venue was soon buzzing. Once they got over an initial Tame Impala identity crisis, Scenic provided some really fresh original sounds that got everyone up on their feet. Unfortunately, the band ran out of time and was unable to play the last song of their set but hey, it gives us all a reason to see them again.

Sydney quintet Panama was the next to hit the stage. Spoiler alert: Panama have live sax on stage. Leave the kids at home because you are going to want to get down and dirty to these guys. There's a nostalgic feel to Panama's sound, that kind of early naughties Grafton Primary meets Cut Copy vibe, and their most prominent single We Have Love was belted out into the Perth city night by the band and the crowd alike.

Mitzi dropped their debut album just days before the show and, with the last support slot, were given the perfect opportunity to show it off. A large backdrop provided trippy visuals for the former NME 'Buzz Band' recipients who showed some real rock-star cred on stage. Big things ahead for this BrisVegas band.

Australian duo Flight Facilities, known for blissed-out electro-pop tracks and on-the-mark collaborations in Crave You, Foreign Language, With You, and their most recent single, Clair de Lune, brought the night to a close. Dressed in their trademark vintage aviator costumes and featuring guest vocalists on a number of tracks, Flight Facilities were the perfect hosts. Opening with the softer Clair de Lune, kicking things up a gear with remixes and retro-vibed hits and then closing with heartbreak anthem Crave You their set was flawless, cementing a night that solidified Future Classic's place at the forefront of dance music.