Sometimes, it takes the oldies to show the young upstarts how it’s done.
Beats on The Beach concluded in style on Saturday night with arguably its best performance, delivered by British dance pioneers Faithless.
A surprising inclusion on the bill, one wondered how they would fare in front of a Formula One weekend audience mostly made up of casual listeners.
The band’s set list was perfectly balanced and varied to appeal as many people as possible.
Faithless live is indeed a full-blooded experience. Where in the studio the band is a trio, featuring vocalist Maxi Jazz, keyboardist Sister Bliss and producer Rollo, on stage the project packs a fierce punch.
This was no EDM show in which the main act comes armed with only a laptop. Faithless had two drummers, a guitarist, bassist and backing vocalist.
Helming the affair was the monk of dance music, Jazz, who sang, rapped and delivered spoken-word lines over the cyclonic sounds unleashed by Bliss on the keyboards and synthesisers.
The throbbing funk of Muhammad Ali had the crowd moving, while I Want More was powered by pulsating synth lines that exploded in the set's highlight, Insomnia.
Released 20 years ago, the band’s second single remains a watershed of the genre – and is a sadly fading reminder of dance music’s artistic merits.
Where today's crop of EDM tracks are centred on the sugar hit of "beat drops", Faithless focus on creating mood and drama. And when the pay-off comes – as in the aforementioned sonic release in the final 90 seconds of the epic Insomnia – the rush is both physical and emotional.
We can only hope that future artists will take up the baton when these masters retire at the end of what is their 20th anniversary tour.
Earlier in the evening, the Far East Movement delivered a solid performance with a 45-minute set. Their hybrid of EDM and hip-hop was well received by the crowd, particularly the tasty cuts Live My Life and Dirty Bass.
On the regional front, Kuwaiti singer Arwa kicked the evening off with a decent showing of her pop-friendly tunes, with the Egyptian-styled hit Ainek a standout from her set.
sasaeed@thenational.ae
