Preview: In The City
For the esoteric music snob, a festi such as In The City (13th-15th Oct) sounds like a very appealing prospect indeed. Not only does it take place among Northern Quarter venues bereft of mud, tents and feckless morons wielding ‘Free Hugs’ signs, but it incorporates the important – albeit oft vilified – strata of the industry who ply their trade in the shadows: managers, A&R men and label bosses, oh my.
This year, In The City sports a simply mouthwatering line-up, including: No Age, Sky Larkin, Mount Kimbie, Male Bonding, Yuck, Crystal Fighters, Factory Floor, oOoOO, White Ring, Skepta, Spectrals, Kisses, Ital Tek, Teeth, Andreya Triana, Mazes, John Weise, Is Tropical, Mazes, Porcelain Raft, Oh No Ono, O Children, Chad Valley, Team Ghost, D/R/U/G/S, Hype Williams, American Men, Fiction, Breton, Brown Brogues, Ellen and the Escapades, Dog Is Dead, Slow Motion Shoes, Beaty Heart, Eagulls, Lissi Dancefloor Disaster, The Bewitched Hand On The Top Of Our Heads, Mujeres, Youthless, Bright Light Bright Light, Mz Bratt, Ruff Diamondz, Angel and Maverick Sabre. As if that’s not enough, more acts are due to be announced.
Couple with this live talks from Jay Brown (President and co-founder of Roc Nation), Mike Pickering (MD, Deconstruction Records), Jho Oakley (Founder, Jho Management), Caroline Protheroe (Manager, David Guetta) and Bertis Downs (Manager, R.E.M) and you’ve got yourself a orgasmic three days of music.
Venues participating include Night & Day, Roadhouse, Band On The Wall, Ruby Lounge, Moho Live and a few more.
- Wristbands are £29.
- Hostel and wristband package is £72 for 3 nights stay at Hatters.
- Hotel and pass packages available at £450 for 3 nights stay at City Inn (ITC main
conference venue).
Everything else you need to know can be found on the ITC website.
Pantha Du Prince – Tuesday August 3rd @ The Ruby Lounge
I may have made some misplaced assumptions about tonight. Speculations such as all German’s are cold, and sticklers for precision. The Ruby Lounge has a questionable sound system. DJ/producer/computer types live, are always tepid, obvious and repetitive affairs.
The main support is D/R/U/G/S. Now, they are a little repetitive. For a short while I’m unaware they’ve even started. It takes moment to discern that the duo casually hunkering over a laptop are performers, and not just two fellows defragging a hard drive. Maybe the nonchalance is part of their shtick. The music certainly doesn’t warrant air punching, or that smug grimace that lots of laptop-knob twiddling types are doing these days. Nevertheless, even with a non-performer such as say, Gold Panda, you know he’s started at least; there are quite obvious visual clues. Not here. The music isn’t bad, it’s just not particularly very good.
Next up a rather humble gentleman is on stage with a wine glass, some ice, and a couple of bottles of water. He taps and runs a metal wand around the innards of the glass, and a shrill tone bellows echoing through the soundsystem, it now having been transmogrified into a swirling, reverberating cacophony of noise. Instead of keys on a keyboard, he adds an ice cube and the tone and dynamic change. Two cubes, three cubes, some water, circulating the rod round the glass, each time creating a new texture of sound. Eventually he presses play on his machinery and a new set of noises whir into their own. It’s common now for the music producer to do this, bop in time to his pre-programmed bars, but you get the impression that Pantha Du Prince doesn’t subscribe to this mode. His esoteric tampering seems earnest; each track is fresh, organic. ‘Saturn Strobe’ is just as vast in its scope, well beyond the aural confines of the Ruby Lounge. The same can be said for tracks from Black Noise. It’s a rare thing when a musician in a live setting can successfully recreate the minutiae of music as complex as Pantha Du Prince, but somehow, very little is mislaid.
I’m always apprehensive about music makers who rely on computers when they play live. I understand that there are noises no piece of wood or brass or string can produce. It’s the way the musician strums or hits or blows that makes the performance. The DJ taps and twiddles. What’s crucial about live performance is the crowd reaction. All musicians live for the response of a crowd, and it’s this element that links every performer together, no matter what their instrument. Pantha Du Prince is working the crowd into a state somewhere between awe and frenzy. Then there’s the sound. Very pristine. Throughout the night there’s a fellow toward the back of the stage whom I’m sure is on sound duties. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe that’s Herr Hendrik, and the patsy at the front of the stage is a fake.
Either way, tonight Pantha Du Prince, whoever he is, is borderline superb. It’s Tuesday, and working an audience into anything other than a reserved shuffle is a hard task, a task that’s accomplished to perfection.
Mcr Screenwipe celebrate 100th video with gig at The Deaf Institute
I’m a big fan of Manchester Screenwipe. For the uninitiated, Mcr Screenwipe do their own take on the La Blogotheque format, in which musicians are taken to low-key locations whereupon they perform as the God of all that’s acoustic and naturally reverberant intended.
To celebrate hitting the 100th video milestone they’re putting on some of their favourite Manchester acts. Dennis Jones, Cats In Paris, With That Knife and Brown Brogues will all be at the Deaf Institute, Thursday August 12th. The first 100 people through the door will get a limited edition mix tape of some of Manchester’s finest artists. Oh my.
Tickets are £6 advance/£8 on the door. Available here, The Deaf Institute or Piccadilly Records.
The View From Here Exhibition
As part of the ongoing exhibition ‘The View From Here’, the organisers are running a film night at Nexus Art Cafe. However, this is no ordinary film night. Instead, there’ll be a ‘Youtube Karaoke’. Those planning on attending will have the chance to vote for any Youtube video they deem worthy to be played on the night.
“We will be collecting data as to which videos are chosen and who chose them. This information will be used to form a landscape of human culture”. There’ll also be a screening of Daft Punk’s Electroma. The night starts at 7pm on Friday 6th August and entry is free. In the meantime you can vote for your favourite films using the ballot box at Nexus.
The organisers are also planning for another event that will run in conjunction with this exhibition: ‘Bright Club’ will take place at Nexus on Monday 16th August 7:30-10pm. It’s a night that blends comedy, science, music and anything else that can happen on stage. This month’s theme focuses on the idea of ‘place’. Entry is £2.
The group are looking for participants. If you’re interested in speaking at ‘Bright Club’ on the theme of ‘Place’, email theviewfromhere2010@gmail.com. Alternatively you can call Nexus Art Cafe on 0161 236 0100.
TOTD: Leona Anderson – Rats In My Room
When I first heard this track I thought it was Wild Beasts (with a hint of Klaus Nomi). It’s not, it’s a women called Leona Anderson, and the track’s from an album released in 1957 entitled, Music To Suffer By.
Born in St. Louis in 1885, Anderson proclaimed to be, “the World’s most horrible singer”. It’s an adage she was quite comfortable with and it got her further than many of those who had the necessary talent. I liken her execution of anti-talent to modern acts such as Neil Hamburger or Die Antwoord (of course both are remarkably good with their adopted shtick). I’ve heard a lot worse than Anderson however, but given my penchant for all things truly terrible, I quite like it. The good news is that the album’s been remastered and is released today. Even better is that it’s still pretty hilarious. Here for Spotify.
The Hundred In The Hands – Thursday July 8th @ The Ruby Lounge
I envision Warp artists playing in the dark. Looking back at other Warp acts I’ve seen over the years I’m reminded that they’ve all played from the unlit corners of the stage. Half the time I’m not even sure if they’re the act I’ve come to see. Tonight at the Ruby Lounge however, The Hundred In The Hands play in stark purple hues. Not so much steeped in mystery, but looking more like they’ve just stepped out of a Topshop shoot; adorned with fringes, white jeans and stripy black and white t-shirts.
You can’t help but feel a little sorry for the Brooklyn pair. Having travelled across the Atlantic and into the second night of their UK tour, a meagre 20 or so people have turned out to see them in the city they hold in high regard; it being home to the bands they hold dear.
The Hundred In The Hands certainly aren’t bad this evening. Vocalist Eleanore Everdell strikes me as being a little timid. Maybe it’s part of her coy indie starlet act. She’s got a few Karen O moves tucked away, but too often she’s reluctant to step out from behind her tiny synth. Meanwhile Jason Friedman is just there and I’m not sure if he even cares whether there’s an audience or not, which is great, but it’s Everdell’s role that needs more moxie if THITH (great acronym) are to coax reluctant audiences out of their timidity this evening.
The pace is erratic within a bracket of er…dancey-ness. While the speed determines exactly how we should move or bop or tap or stand around stroking our chins or gyrate awkwardly in the corner, the songs veer from catchy light electro-pop to, dare I say, filler. New songs – on offer from their self-titled debut due out in September – border on bland, and the obvious choice track for the next episode of Skins, ‘Tom Tom’ is omitted from the set. Annoying. Nevertheless, it’s a passable and enjoyable evening. Hopefully they’re finding their feet with British crowds. I don’t think you’re in Williamsburg Toto. Or something like that.
(Originally published on High Voltage)
Quack Quack – Slow As An Eyeball
I’ve heard good things regarding a raucous live show, so I jumped with fervent glee when this début from Leeds based threesome, Quack Quack fell through the door.
Omitting a winey front man can be a massive boon. Rather than layering your sonic masterpieces with wretched mewling, the real musician is free to survey realms of aural perfection, unhindered by emotional anchorage and blessed with the opportunity to explore the expansive plains of musical wonderment. I’m so sorry. How annoying it is then, when Quack Quack fail to embrace this possibility.
‘Perpetual Spinach’ creates a jejune, plodding and jovial opening, but it quickly becomes incidental. It pains me to say that so much of this album rests upon a crux of sluggishly dispensable nothingness. Due in part to slipshod organ lines that cut through a majority of tracks where drum and bass are criminally secondary, despite them adding bursts of excitement to otherwise tedious offerings.
Slow As An Eyeball isn’t bad, and while many tracks encompass a searching and expansive linear reach, it’s frequently frustrating and two-dimensional. ‘Big Sounds’ is excellent. A rolling drum beat ala Can, it has an engaging grasp, sharp abrasive attack, and changes that throw the track all over the shop. Likewise, ‘Slow As An Eyeball’ is brilliant. Unpolished brass gives it an early Mr. Bungle Disco Volante jazz feel. Unhinged, meandering with subtle hints of scuff and darkness where chirp has been the order of the day. You’re left thinking that tracks like these are where this album should be heading.
Elsewhere, Slow As An Eyeball just doesn’t take. ‘Toc H’ becomes infuriatingly repetitive, and features a collection of cheap and simplistic organ lines that often repeat ad-nauseam. It progresses slowly, and many of the tracks border on claustrophobic given their staid, albeit fun nature. ‘Cakes Are Easy’ shows promise, but soon slips into the realm of tiresome. ‘Bird Parliament’ has a moribund feel to it, occasionally breaking off into intermissions of what can only be described as 70s news music.
Imagine the disappointment when I was left feeling a little nonplussed when their apparent boisterousness failed to surface on CD. As Slow As An Eyeball is an enjoyable, if somewhat narrow first offering that fails to reach its full potential.
(Originally published on Muso’s Guide)
TOTD: The Hundred In The Hands – Tom Tom.
At first ‘Tom Tom’ appears quite messy. A throbbing synth so overpowering it almost detracts from the melee of what’s happening under the surface. So when the awkward clunking slowly pieces together it’s the most wonderful sound. The infectious blasé vocal delivery is completely charming. The track has a delightful innocent feel about it, playfully tripping along over an infectious bongo drum beat. The Hundred in the Hands EP, This Desert is out on Warp now.
Come See The HEALTH.
I should update this blog with more than HEALTH content. It’s just they’re so darn prolific. More bands should release free stuff. I’m writing about them right? Otherwise you wait and wait, and by the time a band’s released their next album they’re out of date. So here’s HEALTH, again, with another track from their forthcoming Disco2 remix album. Tobacco have ironed out any abrasion and given ‘Die Slow’ a decidedly smooth finish. Inspired it is. Download it and stuff.
Light American Graffiti.
Banksy. Love him or hate him you’ve got to admit that he’s made vandalism a legitimate and palatable medium for the masses, while reinforcing an idea that you don’t necessarily have to be artistically capable in order to get a message across.
People like James Powderly, a former NASA engineer, are doing away with the messy issues of paint and physical vandalism, and have been pioneering a novel and temporary way of marking messages onto buildings, bridges and subways. Having previously dabbled with magnetised LCD’s, Powderly currently uses a combination of laptops, lazer pens and projectors in order to decorate starless urban spaces.
However, it’s Powderly’s work in aiding a former graffiti legend that’s quite incredible. Tony Quan (aka Tempt) was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Powderly, seeing how Quan was now unable to write, set about devising a way in which Tony could express the creative visions he sees in his head, but can no longer physically implement.
“I think it’s safe to say that when you reach a certain amount of technical capability you can make whatever you envision. It’s a choice: whether or not you want to make things that are for the betterment of human beings or for the betterment of a sort of finite group of human beings.” – James Powderly.
TOTD: Wu Lyf – Heavy Pop.
It’s hard talking about Wu Lyf without reeling off the same guff that’s been written everywhere else. So I’ll narrow it down to three words: Manchester, Elusive, Strange. What’s important is that they’re making interesting music. Sometimes they play, sometimes they don’t. You can find a comprehensive list of their tunes at Said The Gramophone. Excuse the reticence of this post, I’ll let the music do the talking.
TOTD: HEALTH – USA Boys (NSFW).
It’s no secret that I love LA’s ear shattering noise-something’s, HEALTH. So it was inevitable that I’d feature this track from their second remix album, Disco2.
‘USA Boys’ finds HEALTH at one of their more accessible moments. A steady, near hip-hop beat underpins the track, with a stuttering synth similar to ‘Die Slow’ playing a central role. It’s light, with an underlying broth of bubbling de-constructed synth. The characteristic airy vocals and high pitched and highly tweaked range of noise make it HEALTH-like enough for the OG fans, while accessible enough to maybe attract some new followers.
Having seen what was done with tracks from their debut on Disco, I can’t wait to see how likes of Crystal Castles, Gold Panda, Javelin, and Tobacco have ripped up Get Color.
Dot to Dot Festival: Manchester.
(Photo thanks to : http://www.flickr.com/photos/reutc/)
Having to contend with two local festivals this bank holiday weekend is no mean feat, but the Manc leg of Dot to Dot did reasonably well for a lazy Monday.
The atmosphere here is one of general bemusement. Crowds weary from the weekend wonder up and down stairs at the Academy and shuffle to and fro from Oxford Road to the Factory in order to catch poorly timed glimpses of bands they’ve never heard of. While you can’t help but feel we’d be pushing it a little harder were it not for the fact that there’s work in the morning, everyone’s giving it their best shot.
And it’s difficult being the first band on. A notable performance from The Cheek sets a good precedent for the early part of the day. Sadly, not everything on show this afternoon is a secret act set to be huge this summer. Some acts are just shit. I won’t name names but preceding a song with, “This is a song about crying in the middle of the night at 3am” is guaranteed to clear a room and induce ridicule even from the most morose country and western singers.
The early part of Dot to Dot appears to be catering for a demographic that’ll be in bed by ten: confusing teen-types. While bands such as O Children and Twisted Wheel are entertaining enough, I’m left craving something a little more cerebral toward the latter half of the day. Thankfully Goldheart Assembly, an unlikely collection of well groomed misfits, take to the tiny Academy 3 stage to a meager audience. They base warm and fuzzy harmonies atop superb compositions. An apprehensive and gathering crowd quickly warm to their sound and character, and it’s hard not to, they’re very cool. Georgia’s Washed Out, possibly the first band that mark a shift in today’s theme, leave audience members slightly nonplussed. Filling the room with reverb synths and vocal ala Panda Bear, singer Ernest Greene adding nuances of smooth funk (eurgh) and, with the later addition of a band, play a selection of tunes that end on an upbeat finale.
As is frequently the case, Sunderland’s impeccable Field Music execute their razor sharp compositions with gusto and militaristic aplomb, much to the appreciation of a baying crowd left hungry by reams of esoteric kiddy music. The Liars bring their brand of trippy Iggy and art-house punk rock to the musical picnic. It’s one of the most considered moments of raucous abandon and showmanship thus far; gorgeously entertaining and avant-garde where the style has been previously formulaic and jejune. Beach House, who appear to be knackered and/or pissed off, still manage to cater for their ardent and wistful supporters, playing favourites ‘Zebra’, ‘Silver Soul’, ‘Gila’ and ‘Walk in the Park’ among others. Their props look a little pedestrian on a stage that no doubt hosts Hollyoaks celebrities and drinking games. Despite the décor, their sound is masterfully recreated.
I forgo Los Campesinos, as I leave the rooms swells and I breath a sigh of relief, up until this point a large majority of the acts worth seeing have been at the academy. A shame, as Dot to Dot has failed to rally people to its other two venues. I head to the Deaf Institute to catch Yuck, a charismatic foursome with a drummer sporting the Seb Rochford haircut, minus the sharp jazz patterns. They play cool Americana tinged garage rock and bring the evening to a collected and satisfying close.
Not too bad Dot to Dot. Despite poor ticket sales and rubbish organisation as far as spacing acts between venues goes, the day’s a success, and it’d be a shame were it to forgo the Manch leg next year. We’ll see.
(Originally published on Neu Magazine)
TOTD: Gayngs – Cry.
Bought the Gayngs début Relayted on a whim after hearing this track in the shop. Absolutely stunning. But that’s all I’ll say as I’ll be sticking a review up soon.
Hudson Mohawke – Tuesday April 27th @ The Factory.
I first saw Hudson Mohawke at a Warp party in the chasmic underbelly of the World Financial Centre, New York. It was odd, partly owing to the fact that while Mr Hawke was attracting buzz in blighty for the glittering hip-hop production aesthetics on display for Butter, the yanks had yet to hear of the unassuming Glaswegian. The audience was less than attentive, gazing towards what they assumed was an interval DJ, inanimate for the duration of his set.
Tonight at the Factory a similar episode is unfolding. The venue is housing a sound that’s muddy, décor that’s more Matthew Kelly than Ben Kelly, a lighting technician more concerned with strobe over any other lighting, and an uninterested audience, tentative, and bamboozled by the poorly lit pair on stage, waiting for the student club night to begin.
Tonight, and throughout his Pegasus Rising tour, Olivier Daysoul accompanies Hud Mo. He’s an engaging MC who this evening adds flecks of NYC nuance, occasionally stirring the audience to shift beyond reserved bopping and the odd, “woop!” however his talents go largely unused, and he’s rendered fruitless for the majority of the evening.
The pair occasionally rallies a response. You’d be hard pressed to not find yourself grooving to Mohawke’s irresistible and dark bass lines that sit atop the aggressive and smooth rapping style that Daysoul brings to the table. Bright, deconstructed synth lines and erratic compositions are exactly what make his Warp signing apparent, and they’re in abundance. Tonight, tracks such as ‘ZooO00oO0m’ and ‘Fuse’ find the audience swaying, but you can’t help but feel as though the crowd are waiting for a main act, or a massive drop, or increased tempo. It’s not quite accessible, hardly facilitates dancing, but the flashes of luminosity in Mohawke’s songs work to add light where stage lighting fails. ‘Joy Fantastic’ and ‘I Just Decided’ find Olivier Daysoul at his most arresting, this being his moment to shine, obviously having gotten bored of pacing in the shadows. The wonky and hyperactive styling of ‘Gluetooth’, with its beats too massive for the confines of the Factory demonstrate moments of brilliance.
However tonight it’s simply not working. The lackadaisical Tuesday crowd is impatient, too sober, lacking in numbers, dare I say bored?
(Originally posted on High Voltage)
