- Acting as a prelude to September's Ekko Festival—and as an electronic supplement to the full musical spectrum covered by the Bergen International Festival that kicks off in late May—The Fix delivers a timely spring smattering of emerging local acts and related international artists in the picturesque setting of a former sardine factory turned culture center. The one night festival is held twice a year in Bergen, a city known for being one of the hotbeds of Nordic electronic music.
The 2011 edition of The Fix favoured bands and individual live acts rather than DJs. Heading up the list of names were 2011 Mercury nominees and recent Domino signees Wild Beasts, as well as more electronic-based acts like PVT, the recently halved Aeroplane and the genre-defying Brits Gold Panda and Mount Kimbie. Local acts standing tall next to these overseas heavyweights Young Dreams, DJ Telephones and The Glue all held their own.
Photo credit: Juni Greig
The evening began with a colourful aperitif of futuristic and ethereal decorated ladies going under the guise of Gaggle. Situated against the back wall of the first room, the set's overall aesthetic was a cross between church choir and the post-punk fluorescent patchwork of Gang Gang Dance. As it was a primarily visual spectacle, though, the viewer was left with the impression that this was more statement than musical expression. As their set tailed off PVT were gathering momentum in the upstairs room. A polished if unspectacular intro accelerated into a buzzing anticipatory atmosphere following a rollicking rendition of "In the Blood," a tune that exemplifies PVT's mix of forward thinking electronic music and traditional band mechanics. The remainder of the show carried on at the same level, never quite peaking but warming the foundations amply for the next act, Gold Panda.
Playing on the same stage as Flying Lotus did several years ago, Gold Panda suited the eclectic blend of electronic experimentalism wrapped in an indie jacket of this year's lineup. His productions blend new worldly sounds with familiar melodies and occasionally offbeat digressions, and he's managed to ensnare music fans from alternating ends of the spectrum—from indie band traditionalists to forward thinking hip-hop heads—like few others. Gold Panda didn't disappoint either, guiding the packed crowd through extended dreamy interludes, dance floor-friendly 4/4 drive and occasionally gentle off-kilter beats. The perfect condiment to Gold Panda's filling set came immediately afterwards in the form of Wild Beasts, who provided a floating, occasionally haunting performance that allowed lyrics and instruments to breathe.
Photo credit: Juni Greig
Now primed for Mount Kimbie, giddy revelers rushed upstairs to establish a place on the floor in time to catch the duo run through a quick sound check. From their initial exploratory textured sounds through to intense multi-layered caverns of organic rhythms, Mount Kimbie's memorable set encompassed older material and previewed new in one seamless stream of sound. While this duo have seemingly improved as live performers under the gaze of the wider public, the same could not be said for Aeroplane who, despite maintaining a general interest from the dance floor, seemed rudderless in direction. It was a pity one of the few high-profile DJs involved couldn't take the crowd on a journey akin to some of his fellow performers earlier that night. This aside, The Fix was another fine example of how Bergen continues to fly the electronic music flag ahead of most other similarly-sized Nordic cities.