RÜFÜS DU SOL @ Langley Park

Rüfüs Du Sol @ Langley Park
w/ Jon Hopkins & Luke Alessi
Saturday, December 17, 2022

Perth has been spoiled with some great gigs this summer, but for sheer size none may have matched Rüfus’ festival-size turn at Langley Park on Saturday where they proved why they are one of the biggest acts in the world, both literally and metaphorically.

Rüfüs have gone from strength to strength since they entered the scene in the early 2010s and their material, while staying rooted in electronic music, has moved more towards arena-ready pop, as on 2021’s epic Surrender and its slew of singles. The band have not forgotten their electronic roots however, and the show certainly had the feel of an electronic production whether it be the stage setup or the familiar smell of a little (herbal) something in the air. Biggest evidence of this was in the two opening acts in Australian producer Luke Alessi and beloved British ambient house and techno producer Jon Hopkins.

Luke Alessi started early, opening at the same time as the gates in a set designed to get punters moving. It was an accomplished set of tunes that bridged a gap between moody progressive house, heavier techno, and summery deep house. Alessi’s own tunes in Nothingness and his remix Déjà vu were two highlights, the latter featuring the kind of atmospheric synth textures that the crowd would soon be bathing in when Rüfüs made their entrance.

Jon Hopkins was there first however, and offered something slightly different. Hopkins is worth a headline spot in his own right as a talented and much beloved ambient house and techno DJ that has managed a degree of crossover popularity, including a stint recording with Brian Eno. His music is at time plaintive, other times transcendent. He offered a bit of both with a set that was over a tad too soon but featured a degree of moods. Included was the hypnotic and foreboding hypnotism of 2013 classic Open Eye Signal, and the breakbeat-driven slow build of Emerald Rush. 

It segued into heavier material, in a set whose middle section featured some heavy techno excursions with kicks that pummelled like an excavator. Hopkins’ latest album was the purely ambient Music for Psychedelic Therapy, which did exactly what it said on the tin. The material doesn’t exactly suit club listening but it was nice to see him squeeze in Deep in the Glowing Heart anyway, a lifting ambient tune which brought an element of the spiritual to a wide-ranging set.

Despite the strong opening offerings it was obvious who the crowd was here to see, and Rüfüs Du Sol did not disappoint in what was a pop music extravaganza. The scale of the crowd is worth noting, at one point estimated by frontman Tyrone Lindquist as over 20,000. That estimate was prefaced with statements about the band’s humble beginnings, with Amplifier Bar getting a namecheck as the venue where they played to 50 people. It was a humble recognition of their beginnings but the band certainly flashed their global touring pedigree on the evening.

The set kicked off teasing some phrases from their latest album (2021’s poptastic Surrender) before kicking into Eyes. It was a wise cut to begin with, building on Jon Hopkins’ earlier techno energy with a higher BPM tune with some edge. This segued surprisingly into You Were Right, which placed rather early given its status as arguably the band’s most well-known tune and an Australian music staple. It was a testament to the consistent strength of the band’s catalogue that they had over 90 minutes of electronic epics to go. This included the appearance of (reviewer favourite) On My Knees and Like An Animal in short order. The tracks were so epic that they happened to coincide with fireworks in the distance. Lindquist thought quick and made a crack about the coincidence, but it was a question whether it even was. The sentiments for Perth as an excellent tour end venue flowed again as the band kicked into Brighter, one of their most unadulterated pop tracks and the perfect opportunity to call for the crowd to put their hands in the air, and to indulge in a bit of crowd surfing.

A heavier version of early banger Sundream was very welcome, though further dips into the earlier catalogue would have been appreciated. It also saw one of the rare appearances of a guitar in what was a predictably synth-heavy affair. At this stage the formidable stage light show was kicking off into full (inner) bloom, with lasers cascading out and landing against the Perth CBD skyline.

Make it Happen from their latest album was pure bliss, and the crowd had their hands in the air to its reverberated choral vocals. This gave way to Treat You Better, the set’s most tender moment with Tyrone’s vocal cracking and betraying vulnerability amidst all the synth noise. The melancholy extended, albeit in more energetic form, to the dark but epic tones of See You Again which got the crowd going. The track sequencing was consistently on point as this transitioned to New Sky. The track, with its spare and clock-like beats, was a welcome respite between some of the bigger bangers.

The home stretch saw one monster track after the next, and the energy remained high right until the end. The highlight was 2021 track Alive which got a big crowd sing-along. Innerbloom also got an epic treatment that highlighted its focus on percussion, with a superb glowstick effect illuminating the superb work of stickman James Hunt. The final one-two punch was reserved for the hands in the air pop of Next to Me (as hinted at the start of the show) and the sweet falsettos of No Place.

This was, from end-to-end, a spectacular production. The only downside was out of the artist’s control, as poor exit layout meant that the slow shuffle out of the venue slowed to a crawl as 20,000 bodies tried to maintain pace while keeping each other safe. The mood was high however, with the adrenaline rush unlikely to wear off for most until well on the way home.

MATIJA ZIVKOVIC

Photos by Liam Fawell