Photo: Press
The shortlist of the Mercury Music Prize is supposedly a refined selection of the best albums created over the course of the previous year, but it is of course impossible for it to escape the clutches of the zeitgeist.
The 2012 shortlist represented the seeming transition of mainstream music from instrumental to electronic, with artists such as Django Django, Alt J and Jessie Ware all cropping up. This year, the shift is somewhat more obvious as James Blake, Rudimental and Disclosure are not only included, but tipped for success. By no means is it undeserving, but perhaps the most obvious sign of the change in the nation's music tastes is the inclusion of Immunity, the amazing album by Jon Hopkins.
To launch the the EP, Hopkins played a sold out and much celebrated audio-visual show at Hackney's Village Underground, and the show at Koko - the follow up. More of a celebration than an introduction. Hopkins was proceeded by Darksky and Pangea. The latter, and last act before the main event, weren't as crescendous as Mr Hopkins, but were more than capable of making everyone in the theatrical setting of Koko dance without concern or agenda.
When Hopkins took to the stage, right on time I might add, the swelling crowd welcomed him with wide an dopen arms. Opening with a teasingly short burst of 'Open Eye Signal', before coming back to it in full a few minutes later, the set undulated from delicate piano creations to thumping, unrelenting drums.
It was pitched to perfection - at no point were 'drops', harsh or mellow sections unwarranted. He was a man alone against the vast dappled background of Koko's stage, but he was clearly enjoying every moment, relishing the chance to wow the multitude with his taste and expertise. He didn't close the night - Throwing Snow had the honour of that - but he certainly made it complete.
The various acts included in the shortlist of this year's Mercury Music Prize each have their own merits. But if the prize is given to someone that mixes ingenuity with relevance, then Jon Hopkins is almost certainly more deserving than any.
