Live Review: Liverpool Sound City: Double Denim Showcase (Saturday) (BidoLito!)

OUTFIT

AMATEUR BEST
BROLIN
MIND ENTERPRISES

The Kazimier. Liverpool Sound City.

Wolstenholme Square is the pounding, bleeding, beating out your chest because you’ve had too many amphetamines heart of Liverpool Sound City. I mean lets face it, you could bounce around the square all weekend and still come away with fifty new favourite artists. This is where I find myself drinking into oblivion and celebrating the end of Liverpool Sound City.

Before Oblivion though, we have Italian producer MIND ENTERPRISES. The enviably named Andrea Tirone’s had a single out on the excellent Double Denim Records last Summer with Sister, and sits beneath one of the more experimental line ups of the festival. The vocals on Summer fight for space with a warped, skittish accompaniment to disorientating effect, whilst aforementioned Sister brings a more kitchen sink approach, as a steady disco beat is interrupted by infrequent stabs of African guitar. Sonically it’s all very impressive and displays a remarkable pallet of sounds, but it doesn’t quite manage to bring a jaded Kazimier to a stand, as that dichotomy between electronic music that is quick enough to move your feet but lacking the bass to dance to is exposed.

London’s BROLIN takes to the stage sporting a gold mask and snapback with an audacity that vastly juxtaposes his delicate and fragile take on R&B. Reykjavik’s muffled drum-machine backdrop allows a dazzling array of percussion to build above it, until you can hardly hear the “I will lead you astray” refrain. Lead away, sir. NYC was one of the best songs of 2012 and is an inevitable highlight, as Brolin gently whispers, “NYC is the Place I have to be” to a hushed (and still seated) audience. It should sound crass and affected, but the twinkling xylophone and pounding piano transform the couplet into a poignant display of loss and what could have been.  

AMATEUR BEST, or Joe Flory, has had a good year. His debut Album No Thrills came out on Double Denim last month to acclaim both sides of the Atlantic, landing him at the front of the long list of one-man-bands emerging from London. Despite being the only act on tonight’s bill to have an LP out, his set seems alarmingly short.  There are some great songs fighting to get out here, like the bubbling Ready for the Good Life, but where Flory’s ennui and disinterest is charismatic on the record; tonight it just comes across as well – disinterest.

Local heroes OUTFIT have already developed cult status around these parts. Despite having only releases two EPs since 2011, they have remained at the top of the Liverpool Music hierarchy. It’s not that we don’t have great, hard-working bands here; it’s just that none of them have done it with the same flair, the same charm, the same who-gives-a-fuck as Outfit have. Maybe its their elusiveness; I mean before finally announcing their debut album Performance last month, you wouldn’t have been surprised to see them pack it in for good. More importantly though, is that there is nothing notably local about their music. In a city where like it or not, its sound is defined by mid level guitar bands, Outfit provide local music fans with a chance to identify their music scene with a national sensibility.

Opening with the brooding Performance, that syncopated percussion and dissonant chord changes surround the audience in a sinister atmosphere. New songs House on Fire and Nothing Big finally give the audience a beat to work with, but fall flat on childish imagery and a chorus that lacks the direction and the purpose to really take us anywhere.  Two Islands draws their set, and Liverpool Sound City to a close. And as one of the best songs to come out of Liverpool in the last ten years (even better than Whole Again) it’s a fitting finale. This is a fucking remarkable song, as its snarly executed percussion and straightforward funk-fusion leaves us in that rare, perfect middle ground between life affirming dance floor euphoria and introverted headphone bliss.

Mike Townsend

@townsendyesmate

Live Review: No Ceremony /// (BidoLito! Sound City Daily)

No Ceremony ///
Liverpool Sound City (Friday 3rd May)
The East Village Arts Club

There is an air of intrigue hanging amongst the dry ice filling up the EVAC loft. Other than a few SoundCloud posts, Manchester’s NO CEREMONY /// have tip-toed their way onto our blogs and magazines behind a thick veil of mystery. Search for them on YouTube at your own risk, where you will be greeted by a series of bizarre music videos that serve no real purpose other than to creep you the fuck out.

Flanked by her band mates standing attentively in black suits, front-woman Kelly’s face is lit by a white spot light, almost as if she is about to tell us a ghost story. The more delicate members in the audience quickly wish she had, as the band launch ferociously into their first track Holdonme. New single Hurtlove’s chugging drum-machine and Café del Mar piano provides an inviting soundscape. Don’t be fooled though; auto-tuned vocals meander menacingly above, whispering quiet words of warning as if there were demons coming through the walls. 

Heartbreaker digs a little deeper, as an over-driven guitar peddles its way through a thick sea of brooding kick-drum and throbbing synths to create a sound that builds this expansive space before smashing it down with a ludicrously stomach-churning bass. I’m serious here - audience members literally back away from the stage, some even run to the bathrooms where I imagine they have gone to be sick.

Stage lights frame the stage colorfully, as a backdrop projected images of babies heads flicker disturbingly. We are in a horrible dystopian nightmare, and it feels fucking impressive. 

http://www.bidolito.co.uk/issues/lsc-2013-day-3

Live Review: King Krule (BidoLito! Sound City Daily)

King Krule
Liverpool Sound City (Friday 3rd May)
Duke Street Garage

“Your eyes, they were cold” growls Archie Marshall, prompting whispers and nudges among a reverent crowd shocked by a voice deeper than The Grand Canyon. It isn’t just his voice that contradicts his youthful veneer, as Portrait Of Black And Blue reflects on a disillusioned generation, “trapped in a lizard state...looking for an escape” with the tired wisdom of a man who has seen and done too many things. The Noose Of Jah City, his most focused song to date, provides a likely highlight as the spectral guitar line and layers of reverb come together to allow Marshall’s baritone to hang compellingly in the mist.

King Krule has often been criticised for appearing too affected, as his BRIT School past leaves him vulnerable to accusations of insincerity. No one could accuse him of being detached though and, lyrically, this is pretty violent stuff: “Now I’m covered in blood on the bed / And it’s a familiar scene” snarls Archie on Bleak Blake. What’s interesting about the performance is that these vehemently vicious lyrical moments are painted onto a warm, calm musical canvas. 

It’s one of a number of paradox’s that makes him so difficult to understand yet so exciting to watch. There’s the outward, brash punk swagger of Strummer against the introspective moments of reflection, the bluesy jangled guitars against the hip-hop, vocal flow; all working against each other to create one of the most intense, exhilarating performance of the festival so far. 

http://www.bidolito.co.uk/issues/lsc-2013-day-3

Live Review: Chlöe Howl (BidoLito! Sound City Daily)

Chlöe Howl
Liverpool Sound City (Friday 3rd May)
Liverpool Academy Of Arts


If 2012 was the year of the guitar then 2013 is definitely the year of the female. Artists like Charli XCX, Icona Pop, Sky Ferreira and tonight’s guest CHLOE HOWL are bridging the gap between pop and indie, nestling comfortably between the UK Top 40 and the Pitchfork reviews column in a way that transcends our modern perception of acclaim.

Chloe ushers quietly on stage before solemnly introducing herself to a sparse, disinterested crowd. With a Radio 1 rotation already in place, her disappointment is justified. New single Rumour announces itself among a sea of sparkling synths and hi-hats, as that obnoxious chorus of “I’m just trying to work out / How to be like myself” charges onwards with an infectious energy. Paper Heart and Pull The Strings are equally as impressive, balancing sensitive folk with quirky synth pop in the same way as Tegan and Sarah have done so well this year.

There are some similarities to Kate Nash here, and before you slam your pint down in disgust, I mean this with the greatest of compliments. When Foundations first came about, Kate embodied an empowered, do-what-the- fuck-I-like mentality that was missing from female pop music. Tonight’s performance from Chloe exemplifies this, with her seductive winks at the front row and her MC-esque hand gestures radiating a confidence and self-assurance that will propel her far beyond these modest surroundings.

Between all the buoyancy and poise, there’s an air of introspection; even solipsism to Chloe’s songs which makes her gloriously fascinating. Believe me Chloe; you’re doing just fine. 

Live Review: Bipolar Sunshine (BidoLito! Sound City Daily)

Bipolar Sunshine
Liverpool Sound City (Thursday 2nd May)
The Duke Street Garage

With representatives from Polydor watching on, it’s fair to say that tonight’s set from London’s BIPLOAR SUNSHINE comes draped in some considerable hype. Sporting a shirt that the members of Swim Deep would be embarrassed to wear, front man (and former Kid British member) Adio Merchant raises his shoulders, puffs his chest and introduces his band as if we were a sold-out Brixton Academy. 

New track Blossom is led by an abrasive, almost dubby guitar track, providing a menacing soundscape for Adio’s gorgeous falsetto to float mournfully above it. The droned and abrasive textures of the instrumental lulls you into a trance, allowing the small gestures of the vocal line to prey on those melodic impulses still hiding somewhere inside you.

The sleek, alabaster aesthetic of Fire is a far cry from the heavily distorted and distant sounds of the songs that precede it. Adio speaks softly over stabbed chords from the lead guitar, as if he is narrating a story about his own shortcomings during the final scene of a Wes Anderson film. Sampled extracts from The Notebook linger gracefully during its interlude, delivering an emotional punch that even the most cynical, emotionally negligent boyfriends amongst us wouldn’t be able to resist. Amongst an already impressive recital of works from an artist without an official release, this really is song of the year stuff; quietly ambitious, deeply personal, and wonderfully moving. 

http://www.bidolito.co.uk/issues/lsc-2013-day-2

Interview: Mount Kimbie (Liverpool Echo)

http://www.peterguy.merseyblogs.co.uk/2013/04/mount-kimbie-from-a-trickle-of.html

Mount Kimbie: From a trickle of samples to live juggernaut

By Peter Guy on Apr 23, 13 10:38 AM in Banter

Mount Kimbie return with new album Cold Spring Fault Less Youth through Warp Records later next month - ahead of their Liverpool Sound City date they chat toGetintothis' Mike Townsend about their bolder new sound.

Two years is a long time. It's enough to have turned London duo Mount Kimbie into something of an enigma.

Their 2010 debut Crooks & Lovers is already a landmark release in the context of UK electronic music, with singles Carbonated and Before I Move Off becoming two of the most iconic tracks of the last decade.

New track Made To Stray finally dropped alongside an album announcement last month, prompting a whirlwind of hype and acclaim both sides of the Atlantic as we all remembered why we loved these guys in the first place.

Next month, Liverpool Sound City will host them for only their second Liverpool appearance. We caught up with one half of the duo Dom Maker for his thoughts on this, the new album and their upcoming US tour.

Getintothis: Hi Dom! What have you been upto today?

Dom Maker: We are right in the middle of two days of rehearsals at the moment. We're just sat in a café area of a rehearsal space in.

Getintothis: So you're coming up here next month for Sound City. Have you heard much about the festival?

Dom Maker: Not really actually. We know Darkstar are playing, and of course Enter Shikari (laughs).

Getintothis: Since your debut in 2010, you have kept pretty quiet in terms of releases and remixes, a bit of an anomaly when it comes to the rapid fire UK electronic music scene. Was this a conscious decision, or have you been just keeping your head down, getting on with other things?

Dom Maker: Well it's worked out quite nicely really. The main reason we've been away so long is that we've been touring the last album seriously hard for the last two and a half years.

So, we've just been out of the loop naturally. Having said that, I'm quite happy that it's worked out like this. We certainly could have released something between now and the last album, but we felt like we had said everything we needed to with Crooks & Lovers.

I mean it's quite a small pallet of sounds. It felt good to have a bit of time away and reflect on stuff, let new influences trickle into what we're doing.

Getintothis: I know what you mean. Three years goes by so quickly now though doesn't it - especially in electronic music.

Dom Maker: Yeah exactly. Its weird really, we didn't really notice it until we came back and journalists like yourself were like '2 years guys, really?!'

Getintothis: On your press release for Made To Stray you said, "Two years is a long time. Tastes change, what you want out of your life changes, and so on. Naturally, how we want to sound has changed too". How do you think your tastes, or even your listeners tastes have changed in the last two years?

Dom Maker: To be honest, due to this bubble we've been in we've listened to quite a small amount of new music.

I think what's happened with this new record is that, because we've had a bit more backing behind us with the Warp guys being on board (Mount Kimbie signed to Warp Records last Summer), its given us the opportunity to use equipment and use spaces that we wouldn't usually have had access to.

So whereas before with Crooks & Lovers we were solely using Fruity-Loops and sampling, things like that, with this one we've had the chance to step into live rehearsal rooms and live studios with live musicians.

One guy in particular called Andy Ramsey (drummer from Stereolab) has been fantastic.

He has a studio about five minutes walk from where we're based, and it has a vast collection of vintage drum machines and harmoniums that he's acquired over the last 30 years. And he just let us run riot in there, playing stuff we've never played before and generating sounds that we were really excited about.

This ultimately kick-started a lot of the ideas for this new album. Having said that, we were very cautious about moving too far away from who we are, so this record still feels very much like a Mount Kimbie record.

Getintothis: So will there be live instruments on the new record then?

Dom Maker: Yes there will be. We layered a lot of live drums on top of some fills and stuff. The main thing for us though was that we bought a Dave Smith Tempest drum machine (uses six analogue synthesis voices), and that really became the heart of the new album. Everything across the new album feels a bit more analogue, with a much broader pallet of sounds.

Getintothis: Sure. I suppose that last album was quite sparse in texture, staying away from that build-and-release song structure in favour of a more constant, steady stream of ideas. Is this something that you have carried through to the new recordings?

Dom Maker: Absolutely. I think a lot of what happened structurally with our records is because we don't want to necessarily overplay ideas.

We just want the idea to be in completion and run its course, and then either evolve it into something else or just stop it totally.

For example, there is a track on the new record where we have a two-minute build up of an analogue arpeggio, and then a live jam with some synth, bass guitar, live drums and keys for literally just thirty seconds - and then it stops.

And a lot of people who have heard it comment saying it's a little bizarre, but to us, we are presenting this idea and then moving on before we bore people with it.

Getintothis: Yeah totally. I think there is always a danger with electronic music of 'blowing your load' so to speak, and some of the best songs are built on those moments of restraint.

Dom Maker: Definitely, and we have really tried to carry that approach over to the new record. For me, it's a more challenging listen, in that it feels like a bit of a grower of an album.

Getintothis: In terms of this new instrumentation, is this something you are going to bring into your live shows? Will you be bringing in some more band members?

Dom Maker: Yes we will be. We've got a new a new drummer, who is a very close friend of ours. He also plays bass, keys and sings too, and his presence has really given me and Kai (Campos) the freedom to be much more expressive on stage, instead of worrying about timings and things like that.

In that respect, that's the main change. The focus is still on me and Kai at the front of the stage. We're still doing the same kind of thing we did before though.

Just taking the song, replicating it and then vamping it up for the live setting. It's been really enjoyable rehearsing and working out how the hell we're going to play these songs live.

Getintothis: You've got King Krule featuring on the new record. What made you want to get him involved?

Dom Maker: Its something about his voice that's always been a step above other vocalists we've heard. We didn't just want a conventional singer.

We we were really wary of producing a set of electronic songs with any singer over the top as if it was just a featuring album. We wanted someone who could contribute as much as they could vocally as they could in terms of ideas, almost as if they were part of the band, and Archie (King Krule) really was perfect for that.

From the moment he heard our new sounds, he really was on it and immersed himself in those two tracks he features on.

Getintothis: You're about to start on a US tour with Holy Other and another band calledVinyl Millions. How do you find US crowds compare with UK ones?

Dom Maker: Yeah we're really excited for that, and American crowds are great. I mean both US and UK crowds have their pros and cons.

But with the Americans, they just go wild with anything. They aren't as inhibited, they just lose their minds. It feels like that whole country was built for touring, and we've been really surprised with how well our live shows have gone down over there. We've developed quite a good, solid fan base already and we just want to build on that, get the chance to speak to different people and expose our music to different crowds.

It's difficult to wrap your head around the idea of all these live instruments on a Mount Kimbie record. The prospect is exciting though. When you consider what they achieved with just Fruity-Loops and their 'limited pallet of sounds' on Crooks, just imagine what they can do with a full fucking studio of instruments.

Mount Kimbie play Liverpool Sound City on the Saturday at 1:30am at The Garage.

Live Review: Duff Disco, Orfan, Harry Sheehan (Polka) - Liverpool Echo

http://www.peterguy.merseyblogs.co.uk/2013/03/polka-presents-duff-disco-orfa.html

DUFF DISCO
Orfan
Harry Sheehan

Polka, 16^th March 2013

Over the last six months, Liverpool has been bombarded with new club nights driven by the local youth culture’s newfound lust for house and electronic music. Whilst it would be unfair to call any event that brings exciting new artists to the city as detrimental, it’s hard to ignore a certain sense of over-saturation as crowds are spread more thinly across a growing number of weeknights. Competition is of course healthy for us, the reveller, though for the promoter it means that bookings have to be as astute and stimulating as ever. A residents party just won’t cut it anymore.

One of these nights is Polka. The projects of former University of Liverpool students Linnie Ncube, Orlando Lloyd, Jake Greenwood and Johnny Grant, it announced itself to the city by promising to ‘showcase artists that are pushing the freshest sounds in the world of House, Disco and Techno’. An ambitious mission statement when you consider how many nights have perished by failing to identify a niche and stick with it. Their launch party last month more than delivered though, when Hot Creations’ Cera Alba entertained a sold out crowd at the Williamson Tunnels, as the founders navigated their way through proceedings with what seemed like remarkable ease for their first attempt.

Tonight’s Disco Special headliner is the aptly named Duff Disco. After a series of high profile reworks and edits, Duff Disco (Jeremy Duffy) has found himself spearheading an already impressive roster on Hackney’s excellent Join The Dots label alongside the likes of Eliphino and Greg Wilson. Most will remember him by his remix of Dan Black’s ‘Symphonies’ back in 2010, as he turned the remarkably dull original into an elegant, disco funk classic, placing him at the forefront of a growing re-edit culture in underground electronic music.

The Picket’s tall ceilings and large stage create an imposing atmosphere, as that ever loosely used term Warehouse Party for once seems justified. It’s barely eleven and the venue is already near capacity, all here nice and early to ensure they catch Harry Sheehan. About to finish his first year in the enviable role of Abandon Silence resident, Sheehan has proven to be one of the most consistent performers this city has to offer right now. Much more than being a resident, his inclusion on bills week in week out suggests that through a series of better than the last sets, he can be a crowd drawing prospect in his own right. Tonight is no exception, as alongside Polka resident Orfan we are at the mercy of their renowned selection skills, with each track guaranteed to provide at least one audience member with their own moment of revelation.

The Disco theme threatens to take itself literally at times with the inclusion of some authentic, unedited classics, although the evening is predictably dominated by house music. This is not to its detriment though; as four hours of out and out, seventies disco tunes will have tempted even the heartiest foot planter into a self-induced k-hole. Duff Disco churns out a great set, void of any of those sudden, hair raising moments of affirmation, but assured nonetheless, as we are led smoothly through his unique take on a Disco-House genre that he has been so instrumental in reviving.  Most importantly though, the crowd is entrenched to the dance floor, as the seating areas surrounding remain, as they should be: empty. Often is the case at these larger venues, that there is a temptation to retreat to a damp sofa, force the music into background mode and lose yourself in conversations that with any luck you won’t remember the morning after. Not tonight, though. As 4am beckons, the evening’s performers flood the stage, as they proudly purvey the triumphant scenes they have created. Even those girls who may have seen Coyote Ugly one too many times dancing beside them can’t dampen the mood.

There is so much emphasis on the promoters now that like it or not, the buck stops with them. With the aforementioned competition between new nights in the city so fierce, everything has to be spot on, from the bookings, the venue, the social media, and even the bouncers. And despite the toilets resembling Passiondale by the end, the guys at Polka really have hit the ground running. It’s exciting to think that this is only their second event, as they climb further up the Liverpool nightlife hierarchy with no sign of stopping. Their next event is on the 18^th April – I can’t wait.

Mike Townsend

Live Review: Dusky, Tom Demac (Abandon Silence) (Liverpool Echo)

http://www.peterguy.merseyblogs.co.uk/2013/03/dusky-tom-demac-the-kazimier-l.html

Dusky

Tom Demac

Abandon Silence, The Kazimier

15^th February 2013

Upon announcing tonight’s show, Abandon Silence made the decision to keep the details as ambiguous as possible. Due to the welcome renovation of The Masque even the venue remained unannounced, as we were promised ‘somewhere near their two regular homes’, causing speculation to turn into dread as the lifeless pit that is Seal Street’s Hi-Fi seemed like the most likely location. The Kazimier came to the rescue eventually, raising the prospect of what would be an interesting match up between Dusky and Tom Demac’s new, electronic sound and The Kazimier’s old theatrical aesthetic.

Despite the 500+ capacity, tickets were sold out over a week before the event. This isn’t unusual for an Abandon Silence show, as their reputation for the shrewdest bookers in town is well deserved. What is unusual is the reaction after tickets sold out, as comments flooded the Facebook event page begging for tickets, offering to ‘pay double’ and ‘top dollar’ to be amongst the crowd. Now as impressive as they are, you can catch the likes of Dusky and Tom Demac at club nights every week here in the North and they are far from exclusive bookings. So what was it that caused this mad hysteria? Over the last two years, Abandon Silence has spearheaded the electronic movement bubbling around us, opening up the city’s consciousness and making room for the countless new promoters (Pause, Polka, Get Down, etc). Sure, there’s always been Chibuku and Yousef’s Circus, but as the years go on these events have seen themselves grow increasingly disassociated with youth culture in the city and even more so, youth culture in electronic music, as lineups become more predictable and more repetitive. Whilst I’m not suggesting that they are on their way out, as shows continue to reach capacity with no signs of slowing down, I would argue that their demographics have certainly changed over the last few years, allowing Abandon Silence to provide a new home for the remarkable number of student and young graduates who love electronic music. Tonight’s show is a culmination of all this.

First up tonight is Tom Demac. Over the last two years Demac has cultivated a strong reputation for a unique and innovative sound, due largely due to the secluded and ‘’Influence free’’ surroundings of his home in North Wales. After a foray of releases on acclaimed labels such as Hypercolour and Pets Recordings, as well as a track of the year contender with the ODB sampling Dirty Honey, Tom’s 2012 culminated in one of the most revered debut sets the Boiler Room has ever seen back in late August. Here in The Kazimier we are given plenty of reasons to believe the hype, as those industrial baselines anchor what is an astonishingly wide range of textures and styles, from the Ghostly slow building Obstructing The Light to the all out juggernaut that is Dirty Honey. The crowd is receptive and lively, yelping and fist-pumping the air as instructed by the Welshman, who stands behind the decks with the ease and composure as if he just found himself mixing one day and happened to be really bloody good at it. Don’t you just hate him.

This evenings Headliner’s Dusky are trusted with the 1:15 – 2:45 slot. Comprised of London based duo Nick Harriman and Alfie Granger-Howell, Dusky have found themselves spearheading a new wave of UK bassline crossover acts, not least down to the impeccable Flo Jam and their better-than-the-original remix of Justin Martin’s Don’t Go. Its easy to forget that Dusky were a footnote on the first Boddika headlined Abandon Silence showcase at the Masque a few months ago, so their jump to this evenings headline act indicates the rapid growth in popularity not only of them, but of the garage infused deep house genre that they represent.  The duo alternate between mixing duties, as new tracks from their forthcoming AUS Music EP Nobody Else sit comfortably with some old Swamp 81 classics, in what is an accessible and engaging set from producers with one eye on their mainstream appeal. Their will have polarised opinion tonight, as purists who hideously try and remind us that ‘deep house is the new dubstep’ and kids who are just starting to scratch the surface of electronic music look for their excitement in very different places. Whichever way you look at it, Dusky’s set reminds us that, at a time when electronic music is becoming increasingly self-conscious and introvert, there is still an art to crowd-pleasing that must be celebrated. 

The venue looks fantastic, as the excellent Abandon Silence posters and what can only be described as a giant claw set the stage in a way that truly frames the DJs as performers. Space is certainly limited, and any brave attempt at dancing is often met with a scowl from some girl who’s feet you have just trampled, but when you look around you as dancers pour over the steps and the balcony above it, you can’t help but feel like you are part of a community that cares deeply for its music and for having an unbelievable time. It still doesn’t beat the Shipping Forecast though, as that connection between DJ and audience fails to replicate itself on a bigger scale, proving to be a more essential factor in Abandon Silence’s success than perhaps first thought. What tonight confirms is that the team behind Abandon Silence sure do know what they’re doing. From the shrewd, on the ball bookings of Tom Demac and Dusky, the nature in which they played with hype and expectation as they drip fed the details of the event, to the impeccable choice and decoration of the venue, this really was a virtuoso performance that cements its position as one of the finest electronic nights outside of London.