| #659 |
|
2003 |
Perilous 659 Mutek is now far behind and the blur of gigs and sleepless nights that ranged from the overly experimental to the overly commercial are past – at least until Sonar next week. The picks of Mutek were the live shows from Coil and Senor Coconut, both held in a massive old theatre, and smaller shows from Reconnaissance (Oren Ambarchi, Martin Ng and Tina Frank), Sixtoo with P-Love (both now signed to Ninja Tune) in a four decks plus MPC plus Hammond organ set, and minimal techno from Ritchie Hawtin, Mambotour, and Jeff Milligan. The Reconnaisance set, featuring two Sydney-siders was superb. Their set began ultra minimal with strange low tones spreading out across the space and Frank projecting sine waves and patterns similar to the string and nails boards you used to make in primary school. Over the course of the next hour these patterns shifted into washes of colour as Ambarchi and Ng built the audio into an alien soundscape of digital/analogue blurts, pulses and ripples. Outside of Mutek but happening at the same time was an amazing show featuring Manitoba’s new three piece live band, Prefuse73, Fourtet and Tortoise’s John Herndon. Herndon opened the proceedings with a stunning set of live drums and laptop shifting from electronic jazz to some lovely harder polyrhythms. Fourtet came on next and proceeded to play many of the tracks from his latest album Rounds on two laptops and a small effects box which allowed for some improvisation beyond the laptop generated loops. The sound in the venue, an old cabaret theatre, was superb and well suited to Fourtet’s alternatingly delicate harps, lutes and crunchy beats. Manitoba has forsaken the laptop since I last saw him and tonight he appeared with two other members all wearing bear masks and red hooded tops. For a split second it was like Insane Clown Posse, before the two drum kits and live guitar came crashing to the fore. Shifting between equipment mid-song there was still a strong laptop backing but the live drums and guitar made for an extremely dynamic show and gave an exciting edge to many of the tracks from Up In Flames which was pretty much featured in full. Last to emerge was Prefuse73 with a scratch DJ and every now and again, John Herndon on drums. Prefuse73 straight after Manitoba’s rock show was probably not a wise programming move as Prefuse’s beats are more suited to a slightly less excited crowd. Still he cut rapidly between tracks some coming from laptop backing whilst he twiddled an analogue synth, and others played live on an MPC. Some parts from Vocal Studies and others from One Word Extinguisher would be recognisable before being cut to another track – very much like a cut up DJ – sampler-style. Now in Paris I’m just back from checking Anti Pop Consortium’s M.Sayyid play at a small club venue around the block. I’ve been staying in an apartment in the Algerian quarter and every night has been couscous and delicious North African cuisine so its surprising to see an almost all European crowd at the show. Laying down beats and scratches is a DJ who looks remarkably like Sayyid’s old sparring partner Beans – except its not. Sayyid presents a rough showcase of new material which is heavy on ultra minimal beats delivered from backing CDs and the occasional MPC vs Bass Station jam. The crowd is small, probably only 80 or so folk and Sayyid never really gets off the ground but there are moments where he is engaging, but the energy and vibrancy of APC is seemingly yet to be duplicated solo. Next stop is Sonar and then Cybersonica in London. Yellow Peril (www.snarl.org)  Goto
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