Live Review: Ben Böhmer @ PICA, Melbourne

German composer and producer Ben Böhmer takes to the stage at 9 pm and begins at the piano with the introductory track Martin from his brand-new third record, Bloom. The hauntingly beautiful melodies wash over us and set the tone of the lush soundscapes we’re about to experience. 

The Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts (PICA) is the perfect setting for the Berlin-based beatmaker to showcase the full breadth of his artistry beyond the boundaries of dance music, bringing together passionate music lovers alike.

Böhmer’s deep house and melodic techno music instantly captivate the crowd as he brings his record to life and transforms it into a dynamic real-time experience before us. To further enhance the atmosphere, an impressive complementary visual production is paired perfectly with the soundtrack, with a kaleidoscopic strobe effect pulsating along with the beat.

Böhmer’s ability to perform and connect with his audience in a live setting is unmatched. He is an incredibly passionate artist whose genuine nature shines through in his sophisticated musical creations.

He demonstrates his unique skill and artistry with improvisation and interaction as he gradually builds up the multilayered sonic complexity with intricate harmonic shifts of energy and seamlessly flowing each track into the next. Combining live piano between mixing, he conducts the audience's movement with every touch of his equipment to transport us into a reflective state of mind.

Böhmer’s uplifting atmospheric production experiments with different genres and tempos throughout the set to showcase his masterful sound design, which is full of rich atmospheric textures and sublime synths. He shares many of these explorations through his collaborations with notable artists and vocal features on his latest album, including Hiding with Lykke Li, Best Life with JONAH and Evermore featuring Enfant Sauvage. He also includes his popular remix of Monolink’s Father Ocean and a remix of Coldplay’s Magic.

As his set progresses, he switches up his steady rhythms to increase the intensity with high-tempo peaks to cultivate the dancefloor. An impressive laser light show illuminates the venue, and the crowd responds to his deeply emotive electronic sound with feelings of euphoria as they throw their hands up in the air and dance uncontrollably. 

“A couple of years ago, I played in front of a few hundred people, and seeing this is huge,” Böhmer humbly explains, looking out at the sold-out full-capacity venue of 5000 people here tonight.

He concludes his set with a two-song encore, including the breathtaking Faithless featuring Erin LeCount and The Sun, featuring vocals from indie-pop duo Oh Wonder, which perfectly encapsulates the album’s theme of personal rebirth and transformation to leave us feeling power and enlightenment from his truly healing music.