大象传媒

All things told, it was a bit of an odd night. Proceedings kicked off with Bangor boys Kowalski, charming and sunny as ever despite the fact that they were playing to a smaller crowd and getting a little less of a reaction than they're used to. Still, their enchanting indie electronica pop was a delight as always and that affable, cocky confidence of theirs surely means it can only be a matter of time before a lot more people know their name.

Next up were Brooklyn's finest experimental electronica duo, Project Jenny, Project Jan. A fabulously entertaining burst of energy, the duo is comprised of "Uncle" Rubin who controls the beats, and Jeremy Haines who bounces around the stage singing often hilariously funny songs. Immensely enjoyable, the lack of punters didn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm, nor that of the crowd. Just a pity there weren't more people there to see it.

And so to the headline act, Fujiya & Miyagi - not two dudes from Japan, but actually four guys from Brighton. Their synthy electronica indie dance stylings translate well from recorded album to live show. 听
Standouts include Knickerbocker, Collarbone and Ankle Injuries as one might expect, but starting the set with Uh doesn't hit quite the right note - and this brings us to, really, the only problem with the gig. Whilst all attendees seemed to be pretty appreciative, there just weren't enough people to create the sort of kinetic atmosphere demanded by the music. Not really anyone's fault, but it's the sort of show that would work best in a packed, sweaty club with a full crowd displaying the same sort of energy as the band. Without such an environs, it was a little difficult to really connect with the performance. Fingers crossed that they get a bigger turn out next time, so we can all experience these guys as they should be.

Orla Graham