Few dubstep producers mix power-pop progressions with adrenaline-laced bass drops as well as London duo Nero, and this live set from last weekend’s Hackney Music Festival is a prime example. The set was driven by singles from Welcome Reality, their critically-acclaimed debut album that’s propelled them on an endless year-long tour since its release last August. They opened with “Fugue State,” where a flurry of drive-by synths and alternating kicks greeted the crowd. Then they mixed in their lead single “Guilt,” whose vocals from frequent collaborator Alana Watson add a layer of desperation over swinging bass riffs. From there, Nero weaved in and out of more emotive and neck-cracking cuts, including the disco-inflected “Crush on You,” their heartbreaking remix of Plan B’s “The Recluse,” plus heady riser “Reaching Out.” Besides their own production, Nero nodded to ex-Pendulum producers Knife Party several times, and even dropped in Kanye West’s “Mercy,” which has quickly replaced “Paris” as the go-to hip hop track for festival DJs. With details about their second album still to be determined, the question of whether Nero will stick with their chamber-pop-meets-dubstep sound is still in play, but it’s certain that formula has worked for them thus far.
