Caribou takes a risky balancing act at Latitude 2015

Dan Snaith’s breakthrough record as Caribou, ‘Our Love’, blends heart with all-out hedonism. It’s not a skill conquered by the majority of electronic acts, and it’s taken this producer from exactly that - a producer - into completely new territory, where ‘bangers’ are a must on a festival circuit that’s hungry for them.

It’s more evident than ever at Latitude, where his set - consisting entirely of cuts from ‘Our Love’ and previous LP ‘Swim’ - refines itself even further from a headline slot at Field Day and a sell-out Brixton Academy. Second-from-top on the Obelisk Arena, he’s strangely short of choice for songs that’ll include both drops and ever-changing craft, and in the process that divine heart at the core of his LPs winds up lost somewhere in between.

The choice cuts he opts for become more stretched than ever before. The title-track from last year’s album is a throbbing, ever-changing blast of percussion. ‘Mars’, however - a crunching beast on record - loses its magic, and half the four-piece band look bored midway through its rendition. Songs that truly do merge the various sides of Caribou are saved until last. ‘Odessa’ is a vibrant giant, constantly switching gears. Go-to anthem ‘Can’t Do Without You’ merges seamlessly into closer ‘Sun’. These are the perfect trio, the juggernauts that’ve given Snaith his platform. There’s a sense that things might’ve been rushed - from niche concern to heavyweight - but give or take a few more songs of this size and he’ll find his calling.

Photo: Mike Massaro / DIY.