He's been a half-hearted indie punk and a convincing geeky minstrel, but after almost three years away, Devonté Hynes is back in London in his most successful incarnation yet, as fully fledged pop sensation Blood Orange.
The success of his second album, Cupid Deluxe, last year, has thrust the hipster-producer centre stage, and judging by how smoothly he rolls his shoulders and wiggles his hips to the purring synth and skeletal beats of Chamakay, Hynes has been practising for his moment. In a white top, boxy leather cap and smart trousers, he's a snapshot of 80s style, and his sound is as studied, blending the warmth of Keith Sweat's new jack swing Make It Last Forever with Prince's clinically cool funk circa 1982 and setting ornate eastern melodies to lo-fi rhythms.
Initially, Hynes's soft vocals are lost among the thudding slap bass, skittish drums and sax of his five-piece band, but support comes from his singing partner and girlfriend, Samantha Urbani. The couple are in sync musically and physically, and though 28-year-old Essex-bred, New York-based Hynes shades it on the charisma front, Urbani adds a sassy sweetness to You're Not Good Enough. She is happy to leave Hynes to his expressive guitar riffs and expansive dance moves, but when the two share a mic for Sutphin Boulevard, she tenderly kisses his cheek.
With affection not only apparent on stage but flowing between the sold-out crowd and band, there's a buzz in the air. Hynes is very much the returning hero, gliding through the ethereal Chosen and emoting over the anthemic Time Will Tell, during which he squeezes among the tightly packed onlookers. Cheers go up when he's joined by rapper Skepta for High Street, and although the song's vivid representation of Britain contrasts sharply with the repeated shots of New York City projected on a large screen, Hynes shoulders the duality with the same slick ease with which he sheds personas. "We haven't done that before," he says afterwards. "Only in London. That shit's wild. Crazy."
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