What do you get when you combine one half of a renowned electronic music duo with an acclaimed singer? TOMORA, that’s what you get. This project is the brainchild of The Chemical Brother’s Tom Rowlands and Norwegian powerhouse, AURORA. Both have celebrated careers and fiercely dedicated fanbases around the world, yet TOMORA is a unique beast which distills some of their best qualities. Having unveiled their identities late last year after a flurry of festival announcements, the duo offer a mix of otherwordly sonics, ethereal vocals and addictive beats.
A day of sleet and snow in Manchester could not stop the anticipation around the supergroup’s first-ever live performance at New Century, last night. The fact that these two artists were sharing such an intimate stage, in front a sold-out crowd of 1,300 people, made the experience even sweeter. At 9pm, TOMORA took to the stage, launching into the pulsing debut single, “RING THE ALARM”. Tom and his synths and samplers were centre stage with Aurora commanding from out front with support from her band member, Amalie.
From the start of the blistering dance set, TOMORA primarily let the music do the talking.A few songs into the set, Aurora finally greeted the crowd, she said: “Hello Manchester, thank you so much for being here…It may be chaotic but it’s our first show ever. It means the world”, she beams before TOMORA launch into single, ‘SOMEWHERE ELSE’.
The 11-track set is full of hypnotic vocals, grooving sonics, and a backdrop of exciting visuals in a similar vain to what you may see at a Chemical Brothers gig. Throw in some dancing for good measure, and the end result is a thrilling experience.
Given the Chemical Brothers entertain tens of thousands around the world, It’s a joy to see Tom doing what he does best from a smaller stage. Normally he’s high-up on a platform but despite the venue and stage design changes, he comes across at ease whilst being more animated – he’s simply enjoying the moment.
With TOMORA’s debut album, COME CLOSER, releasing on April 17, the set is full of unreleased gems such as ‘MY BABY, ‘I DRINK THE LIGHT’, and there’s even a few Chemical Brothers and AURORA songs in the mix as a nice surprise. We won’t spoil which ones.
Depsite being seasoned pros, it may be easy to understand if there were any nerves when launching the live aspect of a new project. But TOMORA have nothing to be worried about – their first ever set was flawless. The lively crowd seemed to agree as there was mass applause throughout and stomping across the venue’s floorboards.
When closing out the set with the exhilarating, unreleased song, “IN A MINUTE”, AURORA and Amalie joined Tom behind the synths. The singer said, “Goodnight Manchester, we love you” as the performance came to a climax. There was a final bow to the crowd before they departed the stage.
Dance and electronic music is often about unity and that’s exactly what was achieved at TOMORA’s debut show..There’s something magical about it, a sense of needed escapism – especially when the world feels bleak at the moment. The duo’s live set was a euphoric and powerful reminder of how music can bring people together.
TOMORA will headline Earth Hackney tonight, followed by a string of touring dates in April.
To find out more about TOMORA and future tour dates, visit tomora.com.
Photography Dan Lowe
