On June 7th the U.K band Bastille continued their tour for their latest album at Terminal 5. The album is called Give Me the Future, released via Republic Records. Give Me The Future was built around the single Shut the Lights Off which has garnered around five million global streams. Bastille’s sound is highly synthetic, with references to disco and pop. They frequently employ synthetic choirs and voice boxes, which give their vocals a layered and electronic quality.
Bastille creates dreamscapes with their sound and aesthetic and Give Me The Future takes this even further. The future that Bastille paints is dreamy and intense, but undeniably optimistic. The album speaks to our collective experience dealing with a worldwide pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding the future. Give Me The Future represents a hopeful outlook with a focus on human connection. The album lives in a hopeful, futuristic, and virtual dreamscape.
Bastille has partnered with a company called Future inc. which gives users the opportunity to experience their dreams virtually. Future inc. contributed to the visuals for the tour. Bastille performed with Future inc’s convulsing dreamscape in the background. Terminal 5 is a perfect venue for multi-sensory, all encompassing performances. While Bastille performed, the background shifted through abstract images keeping pace and intensifying with the music.
Despite my aversion to synthetic pop and to music events that are so overwhelmingly white, I found myself enjoying Bastille’s sound. The techno dreamscape felt a little corny, but not every aesthetic is for everyone. Bastille has writing credits all across the music industry and it’s clear that they are talented musicians carving out a unique sound that is not only appreciated by their fans but by other musicians. I respect any artist that dares to be hopeful, and Bastille is both hopeful and different.
