Sunday 2 December 2007

The Warehouse Project Allnighter 30/11/2007 Review - Miss Kittin & The Hacker

Miss Kittin & The Hacker are a pioneering electroclash/techno duo whose 2001 debut 'First Album' is regarded as one of the most influential electronic albums ever. I have listened to Miss Kittin and The Hacker's music for many years and finally (after 6 years) they have decided to reform and do a European tour. Luckily for me, one of the dates was in Manchester at the new Warehouse Project venue under Piccadilly station.



The pair arrived on stage shortly after 1am, to rapturous applause from an over-packed dancefloor. There was definitely a great sense of nostalgia as the ultra-violet and neon lights descended over the crowd, and a warped techno
synthesiser pad warmed up the already-hyped crowd for an hour-long set encapsulating an excellent mixture of old and new.



Opening with new single 'Hometown', an eighties-tinged, uplifting Techno-pop song, the duo quickly got the whole (very large) venue very excited indeed. Miss Kittin, with her effortlessly sexy, deadpan Germanic vocals was perfectly complementing the Hacker's live synthesiser work. His pulsing, Detroit/909-inspired Techno sounded incredible in spite of the venue which was acoustically terrible (due largely to the walls of archways which dissected the warehouse). We opted for a spot directly in between the sound/lighting booth and the DJ booth, and this seemed to pay off as the high frequencies sounded crystal clear and the bass sounded warm and organic.



Performing incredible live versions of some legendary tunes including 'Stock Exchange', '1982', 'Life On MTV', 'Stripper' and the iconic 'Frank Sinatra', by the end of their set the audience were literally screaming for more (myself included!). As an encore of sorts, they finished the show with a fantastic rendition of one of The Hacker's solo hits, 'Flesh and Bone'. This came as a wonderful surprise, as the vocal on the song is performed by male vocalist Perspects. Hearing Miss Kittin perform this track was a rare treat and brought the song into a whole new light.



Overall, Miss Kittin & The Hacker's performance was one of the most polished, exciting and satisfying electronic sets I have ever heard. Their ability to surpass my already high expectations is testament to the strength of their music and stage presence.