![]() ![]() The pair engaged in a saxophone duel to close out the set. Femi, a multi-talented musician and singer, shared the stage with one of his sons, Mádé Kuti. While Kuti explained that the song addressed politics in Nigeria, it was clear that the message could be applied to social conditions across the globe, including in the U.S. The set included songs like “You Can’t Fight Corruption With Corruption” from their latest album, Stop the Hate. Femi brought his upbeat dance-infused music to the afternoon crowd at Bonnaroo, infusing it with plenty of positive social messages. Femi is the son of legendary Nigerian singer Fela Kuti and heir to their Afrobeat sound. ![]() The Which stage featured a performance by veteran African singer Femi Kuti and his larger-than-life band, The Positive Force. Across the festival grounds, African rhythms could be heard on the other main stage. The animated singer fronted a talented band blending R&B, country, and soulful rock into a satisfying soup of contemporary pop. The YouTube star from Georgia garnered a large, eager crowd, despite having to endure a sweltering mid-day summer sun. Singer-songwriter Teddy Swims was the first to perform on the main What stage. The early crowd responded with dance-infused energy. With style firmly in R&B territory, the singer was backed by a solid rock band with a blend of E.D.M. The young performer pranced about the massive stage with a beaming smile all through her set. By the time New Zealand pop singer Benee appeared on the giant Which stage just after 2 pm, a large crowd had already gathered in Centeroo. Even before the music began early in the day, there were yoga lessons, marathons, workshops, group gatherings, and parades all about the campgrounds. With that kind of control over his songs and performers, Flume could easily evolve into a sought-after producer.Saturday at Bonnaroo 2022 began bright and early with so many activities that it was nearly impossible for festival goes to absorb much of what was happening around them. I've got what you need"- shiver so that it sounds like she's slowly dissolving into tears. On "What You Need", Streten makes a claim- "Been waiting to love you/. Sinuous opener "Sintra" chops up vocals like James Blake's "CMYK", a foil for the calming, sweet "Star Eyes", which closes the album with a dream sequence made up of screwed bits of speech. Preceding track "Holdin' On" juxtaposes an old-soul male vocal sample and gospel echoes ("Mama, I love you!" "Yes I do!") with muffled keyboard stabs and serious swing for an effect that recalls Jamie xx's Gil Scott-Heron remixes. Now and then, Streten strikes an unusually potent streak: On "Left Alone", a chorus persists throughout as if dogging guest Chet Faker's slurred pleas for solitude. Sometimes, neither the vocals nor backing can save the show: "On Top" features uninspired rapping from New York MC T.Shirt ("The night's forever young/ It's us that gets old") that falls flat over offbeat thuds and simulated siren wails. On "Insane", Streten distorts Australian singer Moon Holiday's lovely but affectless voice into a melodic foil to his throbbing builds and drops. Her featherlight refrain "Hush now, you're standing on a landmine" is the centerpiece around which snares skitter and arpeggios twinkle, her voice soaring as Streten drops a judicious beat into the bridge. On "Sleepless", singer/model Jezzabell Doran is Streten's Jessie Ware, though he gives George Maple more of the spotlight on "Bring You Down". Those features mask the fact that most of his songs are structured around samey, distracting background swoops that introduce climactic moments. It's a little long on instrumental filler ("Space Cadet", "Warm Thoughts", "Ezra"), highlighting the fact that at this point in his career, samples and singers are Streten's most effective asset. Streten explores his sonic palette with varying degrees of success on Flume. While his approach to warped sound owes much to Dilla, Flume's aesthetic can be compared to SBTRKT's integration of R&B's bedside intimacy with distant beats and silky voiced female singers. He listens to J Dilla and Flying Lotus, started tinkering with production when he was barely a teenager, and still makes music in his parents' basement. He doesn't come off as a firestarter, though, or even all that different from other young electronic producers. ![]()
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