Maribou State music review: Woozy and elastic
Fringe By The Sea got into a brilliantly big and bassy state when the Maribou gang showed up
North Berwick usually conjures up images of seagulls, chippies and posh retirees. So there’s something pleasingly incongruous about watching one of London’s most acclaimed electronic acts play in a Big Top tent on the East Lothian coast. Maribou State’s hazy, slow-burning electronica might seem more at home in a dark nightclub than a seaside festival, but as the lights go down and the synths kick in, the setting starts to feel bang on.
The duo build their set gradually, layering warm synths, woozy vocals and elastic beats. Tracks that can feel understated on record expand into something more immersive live. This Fringe By The Sea crowd, bathed in blue and purple light, bops along to ‘Nervous Tics’, a strangely soothing banger about anxiety and dissociation. ‘Steal’ and ‘Midas’ get huge reactions, while Talulah Ruby takes over vocal duties from co-writer Holly Walker and is wonderful, although her presence is missed when she leaves the stage.
The sound is big and bassy in the middle, but feels slightly lost towards the back of the tent: perhaps an inevitable drawback of an outdoor gig. A band whose music often feels designed for headphones and night buses, Maribou State keep the crowd moving together, and the camaraderie continues all the way home. The midnight train back to Edinburgh is jam-packed, but a carriage full of tipsy, mildly euphoric festival goers feels like a fitting end to the experience.
Maribou State, reviewed at Big Top, North Berwick.