Monica Lim is cool.

That her adolescent son denies this doesn’t make it false. Chatting with him before Lim’s act, he said she hates performing. This seems strange, for the black-clad Lim exudes a calm rock chick energy. Watching her play her “gesture-led compositions”, even her former status as a tax agent can’t undo her cool credentials.

Lim took the stage as the third act in a three-part performance at the Substation, a former industrial space in Melbourne’s inner west. The Bladerunner-like set up made this the perfect place for Lim’s performance and those of fellow performers Naretha Williams and visiting synthesiser guru, Paul Pignon. As we settled into beanbags surrounded by red bricks and soaring ceilings, ambient music suggested the promise of what was to come.

If tempted to consider synths passe, think again. They’re having a moment. This was evident in August when the MESS Synthesiser Orchestra played at the Melbourne Town Hall as part of Now or Never Festival. Then, as on this occasion, MESS (Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio), showcased in no uncertain terms that electronic instruments are back, including seriously vintage ones.