Singaporean audio/visual artist – and self-described cyborg – Yeule captivated the crowd as they brought their futuristic mix of shoegaze and glitch-pop to Manchester Academy 2.
Over the past few years, Yeule has established themselves as one of the most creative and forward-thinking artists in the electronic music scene. Their music creates a digital, cinematic soundscape that fills the venue, making it somehow seem much bigger than it actually is. The coloured lights that bathe the stage only add to the intensity, giving Yeule and their backing band an almost ethereal presence.
With a set that focused mainly on their recently released Evangelical Girl is a Gun album, we found ourselves treated to the live debut of many of those tracks, with Yeule informing us this is their “first gig in 12 months”.
Yeule – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18 
Yeule at Manchester Academy 2 – photo by Kristy 18
Mid-way through Yeule’s set, a spontaneous pit breaks out, which seems to signal a shift in energy; the crowd transform from being entranced by the dreamy tones – taking in every note, every lyric, with a sense of awe – to being part of a joyful and cathartic release toward the end of the set. It felt like we’d all been taken on a therapeutic journey, purging whatever personal demons may be plaguing us, and leaving feeling light and inspired.
Ending with an encore of the sonic tsunami that is ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty’, Yeule cemented their status as a future musical legend. They blend genres in a way that feels natural, not jarring, and have a presence that is honestly hard to compare to anyone else.
Support came from Australian/Filipino artist Daine. Taking to the stage in a sea of pink lights and smoke, and accompanied by two live guitarists, their experimental pop has a heavy shoegaze vibe to it – imagine if Charli XCX collaborated with Deftones. Their set flies by and, judging by the reaction they got, I’d say Daine could certainly come back as a headliner themselves in the future. Personally, I can’t wait to see and hear more from them.
Follow Daine on instagram | youtube | facebook
Follow Yeule on website | instagram | facebook | youtube