San Zhi intrigue before Syron brings soul and seduction to The Old Blue Last

San Zhi and Syron headed an exciting bill at The Old Blue Last as part of Fake DIY’s ‘Hello 2013′ series which has already played host to the likes of Wolf Alice and Jaws.

Named after a series of futuristic pod-shaped buildings in Taiwan, the somewhat mysterious San Zhi squeezed themselves onto the stage, for a set filled with intrigue and ambiance. Lush, reverberating guitar effects washed the room with warm layers of dream-like sound, on top of which Suraya’s delicate vocal is given just enough prominence. There is a real ease to their performance that suits the sound they produce; somewhat nonchalantly working their way through enticing songs with delay-heavy breakdowns, as clever unexpected anti-climaxes culminated in satisfying chrouses with epic potential.

Debut single ‘Icelight‘ was a highlight – the girl-boy vocal working brilliantly in the genuinely catchy chorus, as well as the building, minimal take on Lauryn Hill’s classic ‘The Ex-Factor’. Early days for this pop duo it may be, but some excellent songs are in place and their live assurance stand them in extremely good stead.

The epic haziness was brought to an end by South London’s ‘post-garage’ princess Syron, who topped the bill. Her blend of proper garage and smooth, soulful R&B has more than a few people excited about her year ahead. Scantily clad her set was filled with fun, genuine smiles and an infectious fun-lovin’ attitude but don’t be fooled; behind the relaxed confidence of the 19 year old lie some intensely cool sounds timed to perfection. The two girls alongside demonstrated effortless professionalism, providing huge, rumbling bass, chattering beats and soulful harmony. The major appeal is that her forward-thinking song-writing could sit just as comfortably in a daytime Radio One playlist, as a late night DJ set aimed at hoards of revelers. Throw a pocketsized-powerhouse vocal into the mix, and we are beginning to see a complete package.

‘Breaking‘ and ‘Waterproof‘ were met with a handful of excited ‘woops’, while the wonderfully 90s Tensnake colab ‘Mainline’ forced members of the crowd to imitate the songs video and carelessly shake themselves about. As a member of the vastly exciting Black Butter Records, label-mates including Rudimental and Lulu James, there really can be little doubt that Syron will cement herself into the mainstream, somewhere between AlunaGeorge and the lovely Jessie Ware, following this entirely seductive outing – watch this space.

Photograph: George O’Brien