Since releasing her self-titled debut album in 2017, Kelly Lee Owens has deservingly made a name for herself in the world of electronica. Her latest release, 2024’s Dreamstate, is her masterpiece: a stunningly cohesive yet wide-ranging and expansive record, it combines progressive house and melodic techno to form something which is simultaneously resonant, emotional, and danceable. Her first Manchester appearance since a highly streamed Boiler Room DJ set, during last year’s Warehouse Project season, saw her bring her full live show to a crowd that lay unequivocally in the palm of her hand by its end.
Entering New Century Hall half an hour after doors opened, it was hard to believe that the venue would be transformed into a packed-out celebration of emotional dance music less than two hours later: moments before support act yunè pinku took to the stage, New Century was a mostly empty room with the main attraction being one sole bearded man and his ceaseless dancing to Stresshead’s DJ set.
Appearing solo, armed only with a keyboard, a MacBook and a can of Camden Hells lager, pinku proved to be a captivating presence. One of the highlights of the set was ‘Concorde’, a track taken from pinku’s 2024 EP Scarlet Lamb that combines atmospheric synth with her delicate, weightless vocals. Her songs seemed to transition seamlessly into one another, providing the perfect precursor for Kelly Lee Owens via a techno-inflected half-hour defined by escape and euphoria. Just a few days after the support slot, pinku announced a remix of Owens’ title track ‘Dreamstate’: teasers of the collaboration suggest that the London artist has hugely elevated the track, taking it to new dimensions.
“Wanting pure euphoria” proved to be the theme of the night, with the phrase flashing on the stage screen as Owens prepared to enter. Owens also appeared alone, switching between two synths throughout the set and opening with the title track of her latest album Dreamstate. The ever-building instrumentation that can be heard on the recorded version was multiplied live, with Owens’ vocals building to a wail as the song reached its climax.
‘Ballad (In The End)’ proved to be a truly beautiful live experience, but there were no time for tears, as Owens asked “are you guys ready to dance?” Owens may not have paused to talk much, but she didn’t need direct communication to make a connection with her audience. As ‘Sunshine’ came towards the end of the set, it was clear that she had succeeded in captivating, if not enthralling, the 1,300-strong crowd: arms flew in the air at the song’s blissful, exultant beats.
While Dreamstate did provide a focus for the majority of the show, Owens also showed showed love to its predecessor: Inner Song, released in the summer of 2020 amongst worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns, was similarly escapist, and received substantial critical acclaim. Highlights from the album including ‘On’, ‘Melt!’ and ‘Arpeggi’ appeared in Owens’ live set, with the latter proving immensely popular as it was received enthusiastically by all in attendance.
Throughout a wholly enrapturing performance, Owens cemented her generational electronic talent and proved her genius, inviting the audience to get lost in the music with her. Her eclectic combination of melodic techno and ambient electronica is unparalleled, making audiences want to laugh, cry, and tell their nearest and dearest how much they love them all while continuing to dance.
Owens concluded her set with a victory lap around the stage, before returning to thank the crowd through teary eyes. “I used to live here,” she stated, emphasising the importance of Manchester and its crowds to her career, “this was the first place I felt I could be myself, the first place I found community”. Part of the beauty of a Kelly Lee Owens show is the fact that it helps facilitate a similar sense of community and togetherness: people from all backgrounds and walks of life congregated at New Century Hall for a night of celebration and the promise of “pure euphoria”.
