I am not good in words, I am not a music connoisseur.. and I am not a lot of other things.. I will stick to what I know: sharing (my biased) music appreciation.
Kate Tempest! She is dragging me out of my silence. Few doors down from me, few years younger than me, she talks about me, she talks about you.
“We are still mythical; we are still permanently trapped somewhere between the heroic and the pitiful” she told me at her gig- I am sure she did.
If you are reading this, then check her out.. and fuck first World problems!
The duo from Los Angeles was formed in 2011 within a mystery about their identities. Their first recordings, a trilogy of mixtapes entitled M1xtape, Mixta2e. and Mixtap3, were launched under the anonymous titles of ‘Boy’ (aka Justin Swinburne) and ‘Sis’ (aka Samia Mirza). In August 2014, 18+ released their first single, ‘Crow / Horn’, on London nightclub Fabric’s record label Houndstooth, which was followed by their debut album named Trust in November 2014.
They refer to 18+ as a platform used to navigate the ambiguous grey areas and paradoxes between public and private spheres of technologically-mediated socialization. They created internet personas and art projects in order to release disturbing and sexual electronic music. That sounded convincing enough for me to buy a ticket to see them performing live their debut album at CorsicaStudios.
If I really had to describe their style then I would say American minimal hip-hop and RnB with experimental electronic beats and alternating lyrical duets. Their lyrics are strong, some times even provocative and they talk about sex as much as proper sex addicts. They both remain committed in their roles, cold, serious without showing emotion while their visuals are projected on their faces and on the wall.
The duo’s aesthetic often mixes humanoids (mostly big-titted) with images of real -live people and blends avatars with home footage. Despite how disturbing that might sound, the outcome is impressive, provocative, memorable. Ironically or not, I have never thought that I would like a project called 18+.
I bought tickets for Jon Hopkins in September when Shan had told me that his set at Bestival was amazing plus I had fallen in love with his album Immunity, nominated for a Mercury Prize last year. The night was sold out months ago and the anticipation was big, so big that I had to cut my holidays in Amsterdam a day short to make it back in time for Jon Hopkins.
The news at his official site read : “I am playing my biggest live AV show to date on Feb 22nd at the London Forum.”, so I have to admit I had great expectation for the night.
He came on stage around 11:30, after an unexplained 45′ minutes of uncomfortable standing around time. Yet 50 minutes later i couldn’t feel reconciled. Having read his quote on his official site and knowing that he would play only for an hour, I was expecting a set for the fans, a set for festival people. Afterall, it was a Saturday night at the Forum, a dark enough place to dance off to electronic music.
His set had brilliant moments (see Collider) but it lacked continuation. Many times I felt like a kid who was given a cone of ice cream and as I was about to take a bite of my favourite part, the ice cream fell down on the floor. One of those moments was during Open Eye Signal, mainly because I was expecting an extended version rather than exactly the album version, and not even as loud as I usually play it at home.
Disappointed as I was, I still enjoyed him on stage. He has a great dynamic and I loved his dance moves. In general I was receiving a good vibe from him and during his limited great moments, his talent and originality overpowered everything else.
Support came from Daphni, Luke Abbott and Objekt, with the last one taking over after Hopkins with a very good dance set. Despite feeling personally hurt by Jon Hopkins, it was still a good Saturday night as I got to feel “kinda” cool arriving at the venue straight after the airport carrying a suitcase, I got to catch up with friends and listen to Jon Hopkins.
2013 was undoubtedly the year of guitar music’s comeback, meaning not that guitar music ever left us, but there was nothing new out there for a while. Yet in 2013 we witnessed the rise of guitar music from new or existing acts (like Jake Bugg, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire…). So when a friend mentioned the name Lola Colt with a description as weird as psychedelic pop cinematic guitar music, I was curious to see if 2013 was hiding another surprise in guitar music.
Lola Colt is a London- based band who rehearses twice a week in Stoke Newington, confirming East London is musically happening strong. Their name sounds like a show animal but it’s after a 1967 spaghetti western film, with all clichés included. Their soundcloud page includes five songs with the older one Diamonds dated 10 months ago. Their newest tracks Jackson and Time to Burn are included in their second single named Jackson which was released on the 2nd of December. It is this same single’s release that the band celebrated last Tuesday night at the Lexington.
I haven’t been on the first floor of The Lexington before, and I really liked the venue. It is a very intimate venue with a red light spread all around making you feel comfortable and relaxed. There was a great mixture of people around and although the night was officially sold out, there was plenty of room for each one of us to stand and enjoy the gig.
The opening act was Neils Children a London band with four members (guitar/vocals, bass, drums, keyboards). Their sound (I really don’t like genre tags but something like indie-psychedelic-pop-rock) was interesting although I would prefer them with no vocals, not as without the vocalist/guitarist and co-creator of the band, but as in music with no lyrics and less responsibility to the guitarist. I really believe that this idea would help him, as he seemed distracted during most of the performance, while the rest of the time he was trying to perform all the tricks he has learnt in guitar and demonstrate all the skills acquired during many years at once. Interesting bass line and ideas though.
And then three guys and three girls took over the stage and I couldn’t help finding myself being attracted to all of them, men and women. Their sound was warm and seductive and her voice is powerful and full of emotions. I found myself remaining thoughtless, which never happens, for several minutes. I was just listening to them, just watching them, just enjoying the moment. The multi-coloured lights on their faces along side with their powerful performances created a great psychedelic atmosphere. The one that doesn’t require acid consumption in order to be enjoyed.
I knew I was watching a great performance by great musicians and their individual body language said that they were all enjoying it as much as we were. Deep, emotional sound with brilliant alterations. I can definitely detect their influence from Nick Cave, as when I saw him a couple months ago performing with the Bad Seeds I remember having very similar reactions. The quality and the time spent behind their sound make them as professional as Nick Cave. It was the next day that I found out that their album will be produced next year by Jim Sclavunos, current member of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Grinderman.
Although I am looking forward to seeing them perform on an outdoor stage with much more space for them to move, I consider myself lucky to be one of the few that saw them on this small, intimate stage just before they become famous. I don’t know their names, I don’t know the names of their songs but I know this, I absolutely loved them. You have to catch them live.
The first signs of winter arrived yesterday night in London with the mass appearance of people wearing scarfs and gloves as they queued outside KOKO with anticipation for the performance of Dominic Maker and Kai Campos, aka Mount Kimbie.
The London duo was formed in 2008 and recently released their second album Cold Spring Fault Less Youth through Warp records joining the celebrated list of bands including Nightmares On Wax, Grizzly Bear, Boards of Canada etc. The genre of Mount Kimbie is often described as dubsteb, a false label to both my ears and my brain as the album also contains strong elements from electronic, indie rock even the jazz scene. The release of their album was great timing for me personally, appearing just when I questioned whether the English electronic scene could ever offer anything new.
KOKO remains a great venue to find a mixed crowd and have a great music night, although on this occasion the venue was so packed that you literally had to fight for your right to get a view to the stage. But the fight was undoubtedly worth it as the boys were changing instruments, changing positions, calling other artists on stage, enjoying their show as much as we were.
The great quality of the sound, due to both the band and their sound engineer, became clear on Home Recording, a personal favourite, which is a so atmospheric, emotional, headphones song that I thought it would be difficult to capture outside of a studio recording, yet the live experience was brilliant. Blood & Form gained a new personality during the live performance, overcoming the controversial album version.
The duo was thanking the crowd after almost every song, which to me seemed as a sign of modesty and appreciation to London crowd. King Krule came on stage to sing along You Took Your Time to crowds acclaim. The structure of the live was cleverly put as there was a constant uphill to the tempo and mood. The last twenty minutes of the night (including Made to Stray) reassured me that there is in fact a new London electronic scene.
After reading about Trentemøller coming to London for the first of his tour gig to partake in the LEAF – or the London Electronic Arts Festival, you find yourself buying tickets and anticipating for the date. That was still the mood I was in when I entered the Forum, in Kentish Town and saw a very nice mixture of people spread out in a great for gigs venue.
Mystical and misty atmosphere but a milder than expected and hoped for intro. Anders seemed disconnected from the crowd maybe anxious about his first of the planned gigs just after the release of his last album titled Lost. Too many guitars on the stage and a half times visible base alongside with a great drummer and Anders in the middle with his deck and keyboards, a very unexpected rock band format probably influenced by their recent tour supporting Depeche Mode. Copenhagen vocalist Marie Fisker seemed to occupy a large part of the act, but undoubtedly a sexy talented part. Everyone including Trentemøller seemed to have equal place and time in the show making Trentemøller a band rather than a lone act which is rather weird, if you consider that Trentemøller is in fact Anders’ last name. You are certain that it wasn’t a good night for Trentemøller, when you pick Even Though You’re With Another Girl as the most memorable moment of the night.
The background setting with light and shape alternations alongside with the dance routine by the girls of the band made it clear that they really wanted the show to go well. However, in terms of getting to the crowd , it was a home victory for “dry ice” smoke effect against a rather awkward performance from Trentemøller.
I had a constant feeling of anxiety, as I was trying to convince myself to enjoy it. It was as if you were on a plane that was speeding on the runway but never took off. It wasn’t until the last twenty minutes of the performance that I decided to stop expecting the night to be better than it actually is and stepped back to enjoy the rest of it. A night of an uncomfortable performance by an otherwise brilliant artist.
Allah-las is an American band from California. West coast boys in their late twenties who met while working in a record store in L.A. and decided to experiment with garage and psychedelic rock sounds of the 60’s. Influenced more from the environment rather than anything else, meaning that their album would have never been recorded in Iceland. I liked them from the intro of their first tune of their first self-titled album. It was something about them that could create almost a feeling of safety, the same kind of safety that you feel while enjoying your childhood favourite meal. comfort food, comfort music. In fact if somebody cared about my top five albums of 2012, I would happily include Allah-las on my list. However, just a month ago, a friend whose opinion I trust, told me that their live performance is not as good as the album, so I was kind of holding a small basket for them.
But when the orange warm lights were turned on, on the smaller stage of the festival in St Malo in France, people were getting closer to eachother for protection from the sudden shower and their safe familiar first tune was heard over the speakers. These, the first keys of Catamaran. People were dancing, the band was completed tuned in not only to the right keys but to the whole atmosphere and emotions of the crowd. I was enjoying it all the way.
A band that new, that I swear I can remember them playing one of their songs twice . And while they were playing Sacred Sands, my favourite from their album, the festival people were dancing, the shower had just stopped and I was enjoying both a cigarette and a great performance. What more could I ask for?
In August 2014, 18+ released their first single, ‘Crow / Horn’, on London nightclub Fabric’s record label Houndstooth, which was followed by their debut album named Trust in November 2014.
They both remain committed in their roles, cold, serious without showing emotion while their visuals are projected on their faces and on the wall.
My Life in gigs 