KETTAMA at O2 Academy Brixton – Live Review

In the ever-evolving landscape of electronic music, few artists have carved a lane quite like KETTAMA. Hailing from Galway, Ireland, his early sound was rooted in heavy-hitting house, raw, sample-heavy club tracks that embraced imperfection and underground grit.

Tracks such as ‘BODY’ from back in 2017 formulated the start of the signature sound of KETTAMA that we all love today, allbeit developed and evolved. Now, seven years on from his ‘Bucklyn Bridge EP’ that chucked him on many people’s radar, KETTAMA is a main-stage name selling out iconic venues across Europe.

Amidst an iconic Ibiza residency across the summer, Brixton Academy was the latest stop on that journey on Saturday night, a full-scale showcase of an artist who has reached new peaks of his creative power.

Those involved in the music industry, or just a huge fan of music, will know that Brixton Academy is some gaff. And, if you’ve seen live techno/house/electronic music before here, you’ll know again – some gaff. The crowd was packed from early, yet it was just before 9pm, the crowd readied itself in position with a different sense of energy.

Lights dim. KETTAMA arrives.

Opening with ’11th of January’ from the new project ‘ARCHANGEL’, everyone was intensely gripped from the get-go. Emotional piano chords with a vocal sample rang around the venue before string ensembles added an orchestral feel to the room. A brain-stratching, intense synth darted through the speaker system before red light bathed the Academy in a heavy, cinematic glow – the bass landed and the floor shook in response. As a seasoned fan of techno, electronic and house music, this intro had me in awe. It was physical and unapologetically intense – something that very quickly allowed KETTAMA to have the room in a chokehold.

He moved quickly through the gears, blending older fan favourites with newer, more experimental cuts and new instalments from his new album. ‘Pretty Green Eyes’ came early, and the response was instant. The rework, already a cult anthem, sounded enormous in the space. He teased out the vocal, layered it with crisp breaks and icy hi-hats, then let the drop tear through with maximum force. Bodies moved in unison, and although not to take the spotlight away from the new cuts off the album, it went off exactly how I expected it to.

As the set surged on, KETTAMA showed no signs of letting up, shifting through an electrifying blend of pulsating breaks, trance-tinged euphoria and weighty, industrial low-end. Every track seemed to evoke a different reaction in the crowd, but the emotional apex of the night came with the drop of ‘It Gets Better’ – a track that, by now, feels woven into the fabric of his live sets. The tension built for what felt like forever, stretched so thin you could almost hear the crowd holding its breath, before the kick finally dropped and the room exploded. “I, I, I, I need a drink. I, I, I want a friend in need. I, I, I, I wanna be the arms around a memory” belted around the venue with people hugging, laughing and crying in every different direction I look.

With the project having only dropped the day prior, I wasn’t quite able to pinpoint the setlist track by track as I normally would. Still, what was immediately clear was the consistent quality from start to finish and the unrelenting flow of standout moments. Not a single lull throughout. Those well-versed in the rave scene who were in attendance will no doubt agree: this was one for the ages.

A word of appreciation for the lighting and stage design teams who truly delivered an exceptional experience. The precision and impact of the red lasers cutting through the venue elevated every drop, amplifying the energy in the room tenfold. The crucial role of high-quality lighting in events like this is often overlooked, yet it’s instrumental in shaping the atmosphere and enhancing the overall performance. Saturday night was a masterclass in how it should be done, and it’s crucial to give these people their flowers, also.

An exceptional evening that championed the very best of techno-infused house music, it was so easy to be entranced in the set, so easy to be present, and so easy to live in the moment.

Galway has got their very own star, no doubt. 10/10 from KETTAMA. Zero notes.