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On Tuesday night (Aug 10), French DJ and producer Breakbot enticed his hip horde of supporters in Bangkok with a live performance at Muangthai GMM Live House, Central World.
Brought to us by WAV Collective and French label Ed Banger, the event marks the second time Breakbot, real name Thibaut Berland, has visited the Land of Smiles after first played hereΒ in 2013 at an exclusive backyard block party with Irfane, Outlines’ funky vocalist who might as well be Breakbot’s second half. This time, the twoΒ were joined by touringΒ vocalist LauraΒ and guitarist/bassist Jim Grandcamp forΒ βThe Sweetest Romance: High School Lover with Breakbotβ, which was as sweet and prom-like as it sounds. For those who missed out,Β hereβs our review of the nostalgicΒ night.
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Thailandβs band of the moment POLYCAT opened the show with a bang, warming us upΒ with their biggest hits, including “Mun Pen Krai (Alright)”, “Pob Gun Mai (So Long)” and “Pen Pror Fon (Teardrops)”.Β Lead singer Na Rattana entertained the crowd with his old school moves, grooving onΒ stage in his usualΒ lovable charisma. Wrapping their set, the band seamlessly transitioned into covers of 80’s classics, appropriate choices at that β Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” and a-ha’s “Take On Me”.
Β©Wirun Kultan/WAV Collective
The moment Breakbot stepped on stage was definitely something else. Standing still at the centre with long hairΒ in an all-white wardrobe, spotlights shining at and through him from all directions, the Parisian virtuoso resembled Jesus himself.
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Though BerlandΒ was alone on his synthesizer, the 35-year-old remained composed and enigmatic, displaying minimal emotion and little to no body movement (aside from his fingers and right foot, of course). But ifΒ there’s one thing everyone in the audience could agree on in that very moment, it was that Breakbot was cool af. Cool inΒ his own definition, and we allΒ respected that.
After his first track, “Star Tripper” (yes, that awesome finale track on Rick Rubin’s curated Star Wars Headspace),Β the electro god was joined by Grandcamp for “Back For More”.Β The two defied rock ‘n roll norms by literally ignoring the other’s presence. Their standing on different ends of the stage doing their own thing, separate but in sync, we hadn’t seen anything quite like it.
Β©Wirun Kultan/WAV Collective
As the concert progressed, one thing became clear: the stage lighting was not to be taken for granted. Right from the secondΒ BreakbotΒ got on stage, the audience was treatedΒ with an eye candy of a production surpassingΒ that of a typical concert. We could see they’d made sure the lighting was art in and of itself. Every colour, movement and composition was well-calculated. But thatβs not enough for a Breakbot concert. This year, Berland and his company performed on a LED stage which lit up and danced to the beat of their music.
Β©Wirun Kultan/WAV Collective
By the time they got toΒ “One Out Of Two”, aΒ nu-discoΒ ode to young love, the crowd was already high on cloud nine on Breakbot’s infectious music. As the vocals behind the number, Irfane wasn’t settling for our happy head-bobbing; he wanted us to sing louder than theΒ neon pinkΒ suit he was sporting. And let’s not forget Laura’s poisedΒ femaleΒ presence. Her coy yet coquettish girl-next-door crooning in “My Toy”Β really made it clear why the concert might just beΒ “The Sweetest Romanceβ.
Half way throughΒ the show, the guysΒ still had a few tricks up their sleeve. During “2GOOD4ME”, the crowd was surprised by aΒ shower of silver confetti, as if the LEDΒ stageΒ wasn’t enough to light up the night.Β During the catchy chorus of “Get Lost,” Grandcamp and Irfane glided across the stage in a simple but slick synchronised movement. To say it’s boy band-y would be a bit of a stretch, but we, like many female audience members nearby, couldn’t help but squeal. It’s a bit of Justin Timberlake on Michael Jackson (the song’s keyboard is distinctlyΒ 80’s), even just for a few seconds.
Β©Wirun Kultan/WAV Collective
Amidst favourite jams and surreal artistic illumination, however, concert-goers were often thrown off by the unfortunate sound system. Throughout the show, it was clear thatΒ the singers’ mics were not up for the task, resulting in a fuzzyΒ noise that clearly affected their vocals.
ButΒ the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Breakbot pulled through and delivered a satisfying finale withΒ hit single “Baby, I’m Yours” and “You Should Know” as an encore. Overall, “The Sweetest Romance: High School Lover”Β exceededΒ our expectations and was, as prom clichΓ©s go, a night to be remembered. BerlandΒ and his friends showcased theirΒ incredible musicality live, something not easilyΒ achieved when it comes to today’s electro-pop.
