Superorganism live: exuberant, effortless, and excellent

09 March 2018, 07:37 | Written by Joseph Foley

(Live)

(Superorganism)

Superorganism are children of the internet. This international octet is the logical end-point of the Myspace genre explosion, filtered through the deep-fried absurdism of meme culture, packaged in technicolour for an audience that demands a 360-degree experience in 1080p resolution. In 2018, their aesthetic relevance is unassailable. Luckily, the music’s good too.

From the moment Superorganism arrive on stage, their manifesto is laid out in neon. Decked out in colour-coordinated raincoats, they step out in to a morass of detuned synth, each member ringing an individual hand-bell. It’s charming and shonky and cool, and it’s this effortless blending of the digital and the analogue that characterises a set with far more highs than lows. Sophomore single “It’s All Good” sets the tone for an explosive show that balances the laconic detachment of 18-year-old frontwoman Orono Nuguchi with a mad, maximalist innocence, stoked by an exquisitely rendered live reproduction of their studio work. The party atmosphere carries on as Nuguchi carries the crowd through the tight funk of “Night Time” and the stomp-along beat of “SPRORGNSM”.

The set’s punctuated by the out-and-out daftness of “The Prawn Song” - think The Wiggles via Beck via a van full of peyote – as well as tender moments in the form of “Nai’s March” and “Reflections on a Screen”, which bring out the teen melancholy in that Daria Morgendorffer vocal. For an outfit who pay such close attention to its studio output, these songs work wonders live. A lot of that’s down to the sheer exuberance of the band itself, who mug around like they’ve just raided their mum’s special cabinet for Kahlua throughout, but more credit goes to a consummate gift for songcraft that makes the familiar new and the weird exciting.