Hell at the Masquerade recently kicked off their fresh October lineup with Sextile, the electronic “bass punk” duo whose sound pulsed through the walls of the venue from their intoxicating performance. However, saying the night was electric and intoxicating would be an understatement. There were flashing lights of all colors, breath-hitching bass drops and arms bouncing in every direction, ultimately throwing the crowd into an ongoing state of madness that lasted the entire evening.
Before Sextile could grace the stage, first came Automatic, a trio perfectly suited to get the crowd loose for the headliners. They played a number of songs from their brand-new album, “Is It Now?” that came out barely a week prior to the show. In comparison to Sextile’s sound, Automatic is a bit lighter and softer, but not lacking in the slightest. Owning the stage with their very first steps, Melissa Scaduto and Brady Keehn of Sextile came ready to own the night.
However, just as the crowd caught a glimpse of the duo, a massive white flag came sweeping across the stage that displayed the words “People Over Politics” written in large font inside of a smiley face. Scaduto and Keehn passed the statement back and forth multiple times while their “Intro” played, firing up the crowd and leading into their hit track “Disco.”
The night was collaborative and fluid, and it was entrancing to watch the dynamic between the duo and the crowd. From each pulse of the bass, the group’s authenticity and energy poured through to the crowd. Sextile commanded the stage in a truly unique way. Multiple times in the set, Keehn jumped off the stage and stepped up onto the barricade, signing into the crowd which earned a very ecstatic response.
In understanding the project that is Sextile, it is important to note the sonic shift that they have undertaken during the course of their time as a group. When they first began, they were a quartet with a vastly different idea in mind for the impact they wanted their work to have. Their earlier projects, 2015’s “A Thousand Hands” and 2017’s “Albeit Living” could be described as post-punk with a lot of industrial, synth and gothic undertones; some would call it electronic body music (EBM) rather than EDM.
As the years passed and band members were lost, their sound evolved into something more kinetic and driven, but they were careful not to lose their dark sound. 2023’s “Push” leans in a more EDM and optimistic direction compared to the earlier releases, which the duo continues on with in their most recent project, “yes, please.” that was released earlier this year.
They played most of the songs from “yes, please.” to commemorate its release and a few tracks from “Push,” like fan favorites, “Crash” featuring Izzy Glaudini of Automatic and “Contortion.” Unfortunately, if a fan came to the show as an enthusiast of their first two projects, they may have left the night slightly disappointed in that regard. However, for anyone who saw Sextile live, the idea of leaving disappointed feels almost impossible.
The duo closed their set with “Resist” and a one-song encore of “New York.” The performance earned a roaring applause from the audience who will undoubtedly come back to see the beloved duo next time they are in Atlanta. Following their extensive tour of Europe this summer, Sextile plans to tour their new album in the U.S. from mid-September to mid-October.