Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

It seems strange to have the melodic alt-pop of Belfast's Morning Claws supporting Toby Kaar's breaks and Gold Panda's introverted electro, and it seems just as strange to have Auntie Annie's as the venue for such a mix. Nevertheless, Morning Claws make dreamy, playful puffs of songs full of pleasant vocal harmonies and elegant crescendos, which are as colourful as their painted keyboard stands and banner spanning the length of the stage suggest. Delivered well and with a modest naivety suited to their image, the initially reserved, slowly building crowd seems taken in by their charming synthy wholesomeness as the set comes to an amicable end.

Whilst the band rush around in a flurry trying to take their instruments off the stage, the venue takes on a different atmosphere as drums and Korg keyboards are replaced by a table and plethora of equipment. As the minimal beats and rhythms start to flow, it only makes it more satisfying that Toby Kaar is much more than a grim-faced figure pacing around behind a Macbook, instead revealing himself as one of the more interesting upstarts from Ireland's burgeoning electro scene that includes the likes of Space Dimension Controller.

In front of the laptops are outward-facing lightboxes and samplers, causing Kaar to rock around the whole table with an infectious energy that only draws you into his intriguing, well produced breaks with a silky edge. The crowd here have become not only listeners, but watchers. "I think I was supposed to be off the stage five minutes ago," he grins, and continues with his sway for much longer before finally succeeding that the set must draw to a close.

Standing out from the melee of other fuzzy bedroom producers with his oriental tinged, engrossing beats, Gold Panda caused a quiet stir when 'Lucky Shiner' crept into the public's consciousness last year. But as the hooded figure takes his place on stage, the PA begins to rumble under an inflected rumble of dub which they barely seem able to stand, seemingly a far cry from the soft, almost mellow feel of the record.

This doesn't last long, however, and for the most part the set is an interesting reworking of all the motifs familiar in the record. "Snow and Taxis" is dropped into the mix, gently submerged in the dreamy, floating samples layered on top. The bass is darker and deeper, but this only makes the tracks bulge with a vibrancy perfect for the dancefloor; tweaks and emphasised drops in timbre bulk out the sound. "Marriage" is cut up into something resembling the intelligent end of the dubstep spectrum, full of tics and breaks trembling under all the weight of bass the PA can stand before "You" is teasingly drawn out.

Toby Kaar is tonight's real surprise, however. For all of Gold Panda's subversive tweaks and floor shaking bass, it was Kaar's spark of performance that had an unlikely crowd mesmerised and wholly engrossed.

Aoife McKeown