Beat Spacek @ Tokyo Sing Song (Review)

by Latifa Tasipale

A few days after turning 18, I stumbled into a groovy looking Newtown joint, covered in tinsel and glittery decor, and ordered a Grape Calpis drink from the bar. The screen was playing a peculiar Japanese ad on repeat, the walls plastered with photos of Tokyo Sing Song goers past, the couches sticky and made of that seedy-dark-red-leather that screams ‘nightclub’. Baby faced and starry eyed, I hit the dance floor. UK artist BeatSpacek took to the stage.

“With boundless abilities, his work transcends genre and style – instead focusing more on swing, melody, vibe and atmosphere.” – Ninja Tune, Beat Spacek bio.

Attending this intimate, psychedelic gig was a complete accident. Yet within seconds of introducing himself and signalling to the keyboardist to begin, I was grooving. Beat Spacek, a dance/electronic artist based in Sydney, converted me; years of denouncing the genre were forgotten very, very quickly. Beat’s music was different; funky instrumental interludes scattered through the tracks, melodic and heavy on synth.

His vocal range was also fascinating to observe. In my favourite song Tonight, his voice hit Prince notes, moving elegantly within an impressively high vocal range. In the song that followed, Modern Streets, his vocal completely flipped, his vocal persona becoming lazy and laid-back. I really adored his flexibility.

For what was a short yet sweet set, Beat Spacek brought a super unique sound and funky vibe to a tucked away Newtown bar; it was definitely a nice break from the sweaty tangle of bodies at Cargo Bar that we’d endured an hour earlier.

And on this warm Summer’s evening, I learned the beauty of stumbling into a bar and attending a gig by accident.

Watch the Boiler Room livestream below.