Review by Sarah Skubala
Following sell-out seasons at last year’s Anywhere Festival, plus sell-out shows at this year’s Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, K Mak (alongside sister show Angel Strings) returned to the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium to usher audiences through the cosmos.
K Mak is the originals project of Australian cellist Kathryn McPhee, who merges her experiences playing with Kayne West, Eminem, Guy Sebastian, Archie Roach and Vera Blue with her classical career to create electropop works for synths, beats, vocals and strings.
Described as ‘art pop,’ K Mak’s sound is reminiscent of Björk, evoking ambient, trance-like vibes. Her self-titled album is available on Spotify for checking out ahead of the show, and if this style of music is not your jam, Angel Strings is the alternative offering. While this reviewer did not check out Angel Strings’ show, clips online suggest they have a more traditional classical sound.
Alongside McKee on vocals, keys and soundscapes, performing live were Mimi Versace on violin, Emma Hales on cello, and Sam Mitchell on drums. For one hour, audiences were invited to sit back and relax as a set of specially created projections beamed onto the Planetarium’s dome. It was part gig, part astronomy appreciation, and at times it was tricky to decide which thing to focus on, but the intention was for an integrated experience.
There was cosmic material to marvel at including close-ups of planets and other heavenly bodies moving across the dome. Other visuals included tropical fish floating in and around a coral seascape, time-lapse flowers budding and blooming, kaleidoscopic patterns and colourful strip lighting. At times the graphics zoomed in, which resulted in a bit of dizziness, but it was easy enough to quickly recalibrate.
K Mak at the Planetarium provided a chance to sit back and relax while the sounds and visuals washed over the space, allowing the experience to take one's thoughts wherever they wanted to go. With a limited season that has now ended, future audiences will now have to wait until next year to check them out.
Image Supplied
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