Live Review: Into Orbit – Unearthing Album Release Show

Into Orbit

w/ His Masters Voice

San Fran, Wellington

Friday 10th of February 2017

I feel guilty, but it has become common practice for me to start a gig off at San Fran standing on the deck outside. Beer in hand and inhaling the second-hand smoke from my fellow concert goers outside. I watch the passers-by and mix ambient sounds of Cuba street with the music coming from inside the venue. This time it was different. As I was conversing with my friend Jon we both suddenly stopped looked at each other with a blank stare. ‘Hey that sounds a bit like Sabbath‘ he says to me. ‘Or Zeppelin’ I replied with a heightened sense of curiosity.

Opening the door we move towards the stage with gusto. We are met by what His Masters Voice have come to dub The Devils Blues. A fitting title for their high-octane brand of music. As we stand in the center of the floor the sound surrounds us. A sound fronted by mournful wails reminiscent of the classic American soul. The crash of cymbals and driving bass with facial hair to match puts a giant smile on my face as the rhythm section are only a pair of cheap sunglasses away from ZZ Top’s legendary back row. Giving the rhythm just enough personal flair to give it a contemporary feel while staying true to the roots that took hold in the American South so long ago.

His Masters Voice at San Fran. Image. Mathias Hallberg

It is a hard-fought battle, but slowly the crowd is being beaten into submission. More and more pour through the gates. One by one they are summoned to the dance floor by shrieking guitars. Carrying just enough gravel and grit to stand toe to toe with any Metal band that is foolish enough to take the challenge laid out by His Masters Voice.

As the set comes to an end I was feeling a bit too giddy. Obviously, I needed a beer and the bartender is glad to serve us up a couple of pints of the golden nectar. He would soon come to regret his decision for in my overly excited state I felt compelled to convince him of just how good the show was. The look of terror on his face earns a sensible chuckle. I slowly back away and leave him in peace.

Not one to disappoint Into Orbit step onto the stage and get straight to work, introducing us to their new baby, Unearthing. San Fran’s hall is filled with thundering drums and meticulously layered guitar. Into Orbit must be close to the top of the list of loudest bands that I have seen. So much sound is produced by just two musicians. Paul Stewart on the ever looping and layered guitar and Ian Moir manning the battery. Drawing a decent crowd with their virtuosic Prog Metal sound I am taken once again into their world joined by their ever growing fan base here in Wellington. Their story is told by everything from soft-spoken guitar melodies to full on sludgy heavy metal riffs. Always building and releasing tension in the room.

A successful album release show, sadly (or not) overshadowed by a world-class performance by the opening band.

Links

Into Orbit

His Masters Voice

Album Review: Floating In Space – The Edge Of The Light

There is little wonder that Ruben Caballero approached niche record label Deep Elm when he was looking for someone to release his début album, The Edge of Light. Deep Elm have switched their core focus from emo to cinematic post-rock in recent years, and Caballero’s project, Floating In Space, fits within this new vision beautifully.

Deep Elm have always been staunchly independent. In recent years they have adopted a brave strategy and made the move to Bandcamp, offering their entire catalogue up for pay-what-you-want. Obviously this does not make great business sense to offer your product up for potentially no return. The label still managed to make money however, by licensing their music for film soundtracks and advertisements.

Similar to other Deep Elm poster boys like Lights & Motion/Christoffer Franzen, Moonlit Sailor and Dorena, Floating In Space offers an inviting musical soundscape to whisk you away into places far away. The songs stand alone as strong releases, but also offer the potential to soundtrack a big screen blockbuster.

Caballero explores dichotomies with his music, stating “Through my songs, I try to show my vision of a world where light and shadows, calm and fears, solitude and togetherness meet in the vastness of space.” Hence the chosen title for this musical outlet: Floating In Space.

He also comments on the cinematic nature of the music: “There are two things that never cease to inspire me when I look through my window: the sea and the sky. I see all vital experiences, dreams and fears more clearly when taking a night walk along the coastline. Those walks inspire me to describe my feelings through music. So I’ve created an album that I would want to listen to, as if my experiences and feelings were sequences of a movie with my music as the soundtrack””

One setback is that The Edge of Light sounds more like a collection of cinematic snippets than a cohesive album. Unlike most post-rock/ambient projects, the tracks found here never extend far past standard single duration, with longest song ‘Redshift’ clocking in at just shy of four minutes long. This is not to say that brevity is a bad thing, but more a suggestion that some of the tracks could have been pushed further and extended upon.

Sure enough, The Edge of Light spans the emotional spectrum, visiting moods and feelings with lush instrumentation. It really is a ride, ranging from intimate delicacy to intense urgency. One can hear the time and passion Caballero has invested into this project when we unfold the layers and notice each subtle component.

If cinematic music takes your fancy, then let Floating In Space take you on an expansive journey through time, space and emotion.

Floating In Space Links

Bandcamp: http://deepelmdigital.com/album/the-edge-of-the-light

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floatinginspacemusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/floating_music

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floatinginspace_official/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/floatinginspacemusic

Joseph James

Album Review: Into Orbit – Unearthing

Wellington two-piece Into Orbit have been making waves over the past few years. Since debuting Caverns in 2014, the two have played shows all around the country alongside other brilliant acts, slowly building up their profile as a musical force to be reckoned with.

Unearthing is their second album. We’ve had tastes of what to expect with first two singles “Gilgamesh” and “Dark Matter”, so have known what to expect.

Paul Stewart playing at San Fran. Image: Will Not Fade

The Into Orbit I’m used to plays crushingly heavy atmospheric music. The sound seems too full to come from just two players, but they pull off these textures by using dense layering.

I see them as post-rock’s answer to Cairo Knife Fight. Paul Stewart lays down layers upon layers of guitar sounds to achieve complex aural textures. It’s hard to believe that waves of ambient wash, extraterrestrial squeals, filthy crunchy chugging riffs, droning distorted passages and sections of exact picking all come from just one man. Ian Moir batters the drums half to death, using his deft skills to pummel the skins into submission. Into Orbit prove that they are greater than the sum of their parts, providing soundscapes I would never thought possible coming from just two players.

‘Dark Matter’ sets the mood for the album. The guitar is played percussively by lightly banging the strings before another layer of swells are added. Repetitive drums comes in. This continues for a few bars THEN BAM! chugging riff-tastic goodness! Part drone, part metal, bordering on djent. It’s what we’ve come for!

Lead single and album closer ‘Gilgamesh‘ follows similar suit, with other-worldly guitar tones setting an ominous vibe before Moir’s busy drums contribute to the act of summoning God-knows-what to the altar of doom. It’s slower than ‘Dark Matter’, but just as heavy.

I’m not doing the music justice with these descriptions. It’s not all doom and gloom. For example, ‘Equilibrium’ offers us a peek at the lighter end of the spectrum. It’s the sound of hope rather than impending oblivion. . .well for the first few minutes anyway. Title track ‘Unearthing’, (which was previewed on the Hemispheres compilation a few weeks ago) starts in a similar way, with more focus on treble than distortion.

Buuuut, the heavy songs are just more fun. Moir is a demon who really knows how to dominate those drums. Stewart can command control over the full spectrum of sound with his six strings and many pedals, but nothing beats a good ol’ moshable breakdown.

Something that surprised me about Unearthing was the variety of emotions explored. I guess that I was just expecting an album’s worth of crushing instrumental metal along the lines of the first two singles. I was mistaken. Yes, Unearthing will generously offer you head banging opportunities, but the duo will also lead you down other aural avenues that are just as interesting.

The hard work, constant playing and hard promotion appears to have paid off. Into Orbit have already made a name for themselves, and Unearthing will only help to cement the two of them as players to take note of.

Ian Moir on drums. Image: Will Not Fade

Unearthing Vinyl Pressing

Into Orbit are raising money to pay for a vinyl pressing of Unearthing. If you would like to help them do this you can visit their Pledgemusic page to preorder the record. There are other options as well, like buying tshirts, and artwork.

Album Release Show At San Fran

Into Orbit are playing their Unearthing release show this Friday at San Fran, with support from His Masters Voice. At only $11 (booked online), you’d be foolish to miss it!

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/998743256935865/

Tickets: http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/ticket/6198/Into-Orbit—-Unearthing-Album-Relase.utr

Into Orbit Links:

Website: http://www.intoorbit.co.nz/

Bandcamp: https://intoorbit.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intoorbit/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/intoorbit

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/intoorbit

Pledgemusic: https://artists.pledgemusic.com/projects/intoorbit

Joseph James

Hemispheres – A Free Post-Rock Compilation From A Thousand Arms

Hemispheres

A Thousand Arms have released another great new free post-rock compilation Hemispheres, to follow on from the awesome Open Language compilation released last year.

Open Language was split into two parts, with Side A representing American acts, and Side B featuring international artists.

Hemispheres follows this theme, with Side A representing the Northern Hemisphere, and Side B representing the Southern Hemisphere.

I’m quite excited to see a few New Zealand acts represented on Side B (Kerretta, Sora Shima and Into Orbit). Not a bad selection to showcase our homegrown talent to the rest of the world!

Here’s the track listing:

Side A: Northern Hemisphere

Old Solar – Summer Solstice

RLYR – Slipstream Summer

Au Revoir – Reverie

Eupana – The Night the Stars Fell

The Great Cold – EOS

Malämmar – I

Of the Vine – I’m Morrissey, I’m Dead.

Spurv – Passacaglia (fugler med ord i nebbet)

Sleeping Bear – Emerged

Mountain – Mondo Kane

Glories – Bravo Sierra

Ranges – Kingdom

Caspian – Sad Heart of Mine

Appalaches – Milsai

Build and Release – St Helen pt. 2

Meniscus – Overhang

Antorchas – Stalingrado Fosa Comun

Hélices – BrvdxTripp

Kjjjjjjjjj – Grrrrrrrrr

Kerretta – Ossein Trail

Under The Big Bright Yellow Sun – BERTAHAN *Angelic Version (Jeruji Cover)

Mesozoic – The Turtle

El lenguaje como obstáculo – Adonis Minos

Hashshashin – Levitation

Fourteen Nights At Sea – No Capital

Sora Shima – And Behold a Pale Horse

We Set Sail – Forgotten Shores

Kalouv – Da Bravura, Inocência

Into Orbit – Unearthing

Hello Porkins – Melon Felon

blienvesne – Definitivamente ellos no son los dueños del viento

Bear the Mammoth – Molly

CJ and David have once again outdone themselves with this collection. 36 great tracks from all over the world, lovingly chosen and presented in a great wee package.

So head along to https://athousandarms.bandcamp.com/ to download Hemispheres and discover your next favourite new band!

Joseph James

Live Review: Tortoise at San Fran, Wellington

Tortoise

w/ fFolks and Hiboux

San Fran, Wellington

Saturday 3 December 2016

I arrived at San Fran just in time for local act Hiboux, who set the mood beautifully for Tortoise. The five piece act played mesmerising rock music that had me moving, and even had a camera crew documenting their set (which didn’t help my confidence when taking photos – my entire camera is only a third of the size of many of the other photographers’ lenses!) I loved the atmosphere that they created, and bonus points for including saxophone in a few songs.

Hiboux. Bern Stock (L) and Lester Litchfield (R)

Watching roadies set the stage for Tortoise was an interesting affair. They carried item after item onstage and arranged the instruments accordingly. I was excited to see two drum kits facing each other at the front of stage. Funnily enough the kits were different brands (Pearl and Sonar). Does that mean the band has two different endorsements with drum companies? A a large vibrophone sat on the right of stage, and on the other end of the stage sat something that looked like a trigger pad crossed with a piano.Selections of guitars and basses stood in formation along rear, and a number of synths, sequencers and other electronic things sporting dials filled the spaces left.

Tortoise boasted some very talented players. And not only was each muso talented, but they all took turns playing different instruments, like Sufjan Stevens’ band. I wonder what this looks like at band practice when they are writing new material? How do they decide who plays what for each song when they don’t have set defined roles?

I think I figured out the answer to this from observing the band play. For the most part, the Santa-looking Doug McCombs ties the songs together with his bass guitar, while Jeff Parker sets the melody on guitar. This leaves the three other members free to share their time between percussion and synths.

I am a drummer myself, and I loved being able to see two drummers playing off from each other right at the front of the stage, rather than having someone hidden away at the back in the shadows like we usually see. I remember being captivated by Genesis DVDs as a teenager, watching Phil Collins and Chester Thompson become one when both sat down behind their kits. I’ve seen a number of bands use two drummers in the past (Bon Iver, Death Cab For Cutie, Shihad, Incubus and The Roots spring to mind) but never in a revolving sense like Tortoise.

John McEntire is the groove master, sitting in the pocket and playing incredibly tight, uncomplicated beats, using the butt of the sticks on the snare. He takes the throne when the song needs something simple to lock in with McCombs. He also grimaces and looks like he is in pain while he plays. John Herndon, however, doesn’t merely play the drums, he beats them into submission. He is the monster, unleashing his frenetic energy to add busy percussive flavour to the mix. Dan Bitney sits in the middle, complementing everyone as drum duets form. He adds those extra elements that one drummer cannot offer with four limbs alone.

Tortoise play exciting music. Exciting because of how interesting and experimental it is. Gone is the verse-chorus-bridge type structure that we are accustomed to. Gone are the vocals. Why have a singer when you can have three drummers and vibes? Songs grew and layered in ways that are unique even within post-rock circles, with subtle frequencies taking turns to flash themselves at us.

It was a marvel to watch interactions between band members. Two drummers would become one, with bass slotting in perfectly. Members would casually move around the stage, playing a game of musical chairs. I would watch how they split their time. Someone would adjust a dial and set the right effects, then add some colour using mallets on the vibes, then shake a tambourine or shakers, and finish off strumming on a guitar. And that’s all within one song!

Set list

Odd socks

Tortoise are stunning. Visually, they put on a brilliant show. Not because of lights and screens – but because of how they arrange the stage and share responsibilities. And musically, they create sounds that are so unconventional and intriguing that one cannot help but listen with amazement. I caught myself grinning many times throughout the set. Grinning at the sheer… weirdness… talent… brilliance…? I’m not sure what exactly, but I cannot recommend seeing Tortoise highly enough.

All photos and words by Joseph James

Will Not Fade

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