Post-Rock

Live Review: This Will Destroy You and sleepmakeswaves at San Fran, Wellington

This Will Destroy You sleepmakeswaves San Fran Wellington
Standard

This Will Destroy You (Texas, USA)

w/ sleepmakeswaves (Sydney, Australia) and Spook The Horses (Wellington)

San Fran, Wellington

Sunday 7 June 2015

Image: Fergus Cunningham

Image: Fergus Cunningham

Local act Spook The Horse started the night off strong with their searing post-hardcore set. At stages heavy with roaring, and other times calm and contemplative, with plenty of tambourine shaking in between. They ensured that those who arrived early were rewarded for their attendance.

Sydney post-rock quartet sleepmakeswaves were outstanding. This show was towards the end of a long tour (22 countries over a three-month period), but they showed no signs of waning, clearly loving every moment onstage. Most bands who play this kind of music stand there solemnly in the dark as they play, but the lads from SMW were jumping around all over the place having the time of their life. I swear I didn’t see the drummer’s face once, hidden behind his shaggy mop of hair. The music was upbeat and positive, accompanied by quirky electronic samples. It was such a good set that I could have quite happily called it a night then.

Image: Fergus Cunningham

Image: Fergus Cunningham

After sleepmakeswaves’ energetic set, This Will Destroy You didn’t seem nearly as exciting. It was late on a Sunday night and the music was so slow that I could hear my bed calling me. Guitarist Jeremy Galindo was seated for the whole set and even commented that he was ready for bed too. I’m glad I didn’t answer the call though, because I was soon swept up in the music.

TWDY had one of the most intricate set-ups that I’ve seen. Transformers to help compensate for the electrical system differences between NZ and USA. Pedals upon pedals upon pedals. Keyboards and dials and switches, all draped in an assortment of wires. A spaghetti monstrosity of cables laying claim to most of the stage.

And all this equipment was used to create the music. Swells and hums and intricate layers of sound. Spaced drumming with washy cymbals. Sparse keyboard notes on top of haunting white noise. Even though the music was slow and the set lasted almost two hours, it certainly didn’t feel like it. Time didn’t drag its heels, but instead flew past sooner than I realised. And when my eyelids would start to feel heavy the band would launch into an electrifying overdriven segment to wake me up again. TWDY didn’t have the same stage presence of the previous two bands: they let their music do the talking.

Image: Fergus Cunningham

Image: Fergus Cunningham

Not only were we treated to seeing This Will Destroy You, but they also brought another stellar international band with them as support. And sleepmakeswaves actually put on the best performance of the night. It was a relatively small turn out, something that I can only attribute to the fact that it was a Sunday night. And it did go late, until around 12.20am. But once the sleep deprivation wears off, I don’t think anyone in attendance would say they regret having gone.

Joseph James

Thanks to Fergus Cunningham for the photos.

EP Review: Barouche – Volume I: The Expedition

Barouche Volume I The Expedition cover
Standard

Ross Jenkinson is London multi-instrumentalist who has just released a brilliant solo EP under the name Barouche.

The EP starts off with ‘Plot a Course’, a groovy latin-esque number that makes me think of Santana. I’m not usually a fan of much electronic music, but second track, ‘Across the Breeze’ is charming, in a similar style to Panda Panda. ‘If We Could but Rest…’ is another fun upbeat number, delightfully danceable with its offbeat drumming.

Two tracks remind me of darker post-metal like Cloudkicker. ‘The Demons are Shouting’ is tight, angular and djenty, whilst ‘The Better Angels’ is looser, with a deliciously dirty guitar tone coupled with sloshy cymbals.

In fact, those cymbals led me to a personal “Sherlock Holmes moment”. When listening through headphones, I noticed that the hi-hat cymbals were coming through the right hand earpiece. After messaging Jenkinson my suspicions were confirmed – he plays left-handed! Maybe I should pursue a career in detective work…

One key advantage that Barouche has over many other post-rock acts is that the music is tight and concise and not sprawling and slow building. As much as I like music with long build ups, I tend to play that stuff in the background. But I remain attentive to Barouche’s music because it’s short and exciting. People have short attention spans. This is why best-selling pop songs are short and repetitive. And why Barouche will be more palatable than other instrumental projects for many people.

It’s always impressive when someone can create a full musical project on their own. The likes of Lights & Motion and Cloudkicker have shown that it’s possible to still do a Mike Oldfield. And now Barouche has joined their ranks. The range of music is refreshingly experimental, covering different styles and exploring different musical flavours and colours. Jenkinson has displayed an impressive assortment of abilities in his arsenal, recording everything himself using both standard instruments and computer programming.

This collection is Volume I, showcasing a range of sounds and styles. Barouche will continue to flesh out these ideas with future releases, taking each sound in different directions and letting them evolve. If The Expedition is just a taster, then I’m excited to hear the music still to come.

You can download Barouche Volume I: The Expedition from Bandcamp here.

Keep on eye on that page. An ambient/noise record is due in a few weeks, with a  “Big, Happy, Rock” EP to follow shortly after. By sounds of things, Barouche won’t be slowing down any time soon.

Barouche      Facebook

Joseph James

Album Review: Gilmore Trail – The Floating World

Gilmore Trail The Floating World album cover
Standard

I love post-rock music, be it the cinematic like Lights & Motion, heavy like Cloudkicker, slow-building like Mogwai, primal like Jakob, or sample infused like Maybeshewill. The reason I love post-rock is because with the exclusion of vocals, bands are freed up from the conventional verse/chorus/verse structure of modern song writing. The focus is on the music, and what can be achieved without boundaries set in place. Rather than using lyrics to send a message, musicians can create lush textural soundscapes that play on the listener’s emotions and evoke memories, feelings and places.

Sheffield based quartet Gilmore Trail are no exclusion. Named after a popular Alaskan track traveled to view the Northern Lights, Gilmore Trail capture a sense of grandeur and wonderment. The Floating World is their second album, due out on the 16th of May.

Gilmore Trail The Floating World press photo

From the sparse piano chords that open ‘Memories of Redfern’, through to the last lingering note of ‘Dusk’, Gilmore Trial ushers the listener into an exciting new world.

Title track ‘The Floating World’ is serene. I imagine it would be the perfect soundtrack if I was on the actual Gilmore Trail, isolated in Alaska and staring up at the mysterious lights in the cosmos. The song starts off by capturing the feeling of being remote in an icy wonderland, interrupted by roaring later on, like a storm blowing through.

Highlight track ‘Ballard Down’ is a 10 minute beauty that begins with gorgeous bass tone, eerie guitars and tribal drumming. After a few minutes clouds start to gather and rain falls softly, signalling a searing new segment in the piece. The one song contains many different moods but they flow seamlessly.

Gilmore Trail have spent time exploring the different timbres of the instruments used in this album. For example, during ‘Waveless Shore’, drummer Sam Ainger creates contrast by using a flappy, de-tuned drumhead in one section, and switches to a tightly strung skin the next. The samples are also used well, subtle yet effective. Many are recordings of the weather, like wind channeling through a valley, or the rainfall mentioned before. These add to the nature-inspired themes throughout the music.

The Floating World is epic, to say the least. It’s long and expansive without sounding repetitive, conjuring the vastness of nature and the power of the elements. Like nature, the music is powerful: at times peaceful and lightly glimmering with hope, at other times crushing and potentially devastating.

I’ve only given The Floating World a handful of listens so far, but once I get a copy of the album I’ll no doubt revisit it often.

Joseph James

Live Review: Mogwai at James Cabaret, Wellington

Mogwai James Cabaret Wellington Poster
Standard

Mogwai

w/ Mick Turner
James Cabaret, Wellington
Friday 6 March 2015

The term “post-rock” suggests that the genre of music has evolved beyond standard rock. And for Glaswegian act Mogwai, this appears accurate. They have gone past the standard band formula of guitar, bass, drums and vocals, expanding their sound with the use of synths, 12 string guitars, multiple drums (both electric and acoustic), vocoder and violin. Electric and analogue sounds marry to create something unique.

For the most part there were five musicians on stage. Sometimes the keyboard player would play a third guitar. Touring member Luke Sutherland made an appearance for a handful of songs, fleshing out the sound more with his violin, or by singing, or playing some secondary drums.

The lights were an integrated part of the experience. There were three neon looking hexagons from the cover of Rave Tapes that pulsated and flickered. Backlights synchronised with the music cast the band members as dramatic silhouettes.

Mogwai songs have very gradual growth. They slowly build up with layers. A steady drumbeat, a repeated riff, another guitar fills the space and the keys take over the high-end. The wash and hum lingers and sweeps through.

Like the songs that gradually build up, the set got better as it progressed. People started to sway and dance as the songs became more interesting. Better recognised songs were received with whistles and cries of delight.

Image: Bradley Garner Photography.

Image: Bradley Garner Photography.

One of the more memorable parts was the set closing song, “Mogwai Fear Satan”. After six minutes of building up the song pulls back to light swells and an undercurrent drum beat. This lull in the song continues for a few minutes, before the band suddenly launches back into a frenzied feedback explosion. Many people jumped back in fright, just to laugh at themselves moments later.

One criticism is that the set was loud. I always wear earplugs at gigs to protect my hearing, but even so, it was excessive. Many people had fingers stuck in their ears, and I heard later that people had left because they couldn’t handle the volume.

Mogwai last came to New Zealand 16 years ago. This was their first time in Wellington. The venue was close to full, but not packed enough to make the place as stifling hot as it has been last few times I’d been there. Tonight was quite mixed, predominantly an older crowd (30+). They played for around 90 minutes, including a two song encore.

The set was loud and varied. The visuals were simple yet dramatic. There were quiet, drawn out sections and explosive, euphoric moments. The use of unconventional instruments made it more interesting.

After most songs guitarist Stuart Braithwaite would step forward to his microphone and meekly offer “Thank you, cheers” in his Scottish accent. On behalf of the audience, right back at you, Stuart.

 

Joseph James

The setlist

The set list

Album Review: Platonick Dive – Overflow

PLATONICK DIVE - OVERFLOW COVER
Standard

As much as I love post-rock and associated instrumental music, I seldom venture into digital based music. I’m a purist that likes to listen to music played on instruments instead of computers. I know that some post-rock bands and lots of hip-hop artists I listen to are quite sample heavy, but I always prefer live instrumentation. For example, I’ve enjoyed seeing some hip-hop bands like The Roots and David Dallas (with his backing band The Daylight Robbery) far more than seeing other rappers that have DJs or backing tracks.

Maybe I need to get with the times. Many of New Zealand’s major current music exports (Kimbra, Lorde, Broods, Brooke Fraser) are all headed in that direction, but I’m not really interested most of that stuff.

So when I listened to Overflow, the forthcoming album from Italian four piece Platonick Dive, my opinion was quite divided. A lot of it sounds like 65daysofstatic to me – post-rock with a heavy electronic element. I don’t mind music like that, but it’s certainly not my preference. That said, sections of Overflow were really striking and caught my attention.

platonick dive promo 1

I’ve previously listened to the song “Træ” from Platonick Dive that featured on a Nothing But Hope and Passion compilation. This was off Platonick Dive’s first album “Therapeutic Portrait”. I liked the song but it isn’t a fair introduction to Overflow, because the second album is a change of direction for the band. This is a deliberate move. “We are in a continuous artistic movement”, their press release says, “the most dangerous thing you can do is to stay still”. This is a band that is ever changing, and always experimenting. Trying to push the envelope is one thing, but does it make the music convoluted when it’s heading in too many directions?

Not really. There is a lot of influences at play here, but it seems to work. The album is well produced. Parts reminds me of one of Platonick Dives’ contemporaries – electro/ambient outfit worriedaboutsatan. The music is crisp, deliberate, moody. And plenty of it is clearly electronic. The track “From Seattle To Berlin” is full of glitches and DJ style scratches, a feel that continues throughout the album.

The instrumentation is interesting. I am a drummer, so of course the excellent drumming and percussion stood out to me. Keyboards are quite dominant. There are all sorts of other sounds and instruments utilised, many of which come from a computer. I quite liked the part in “High Tide” that sounded like marimba or xylophone.

Some songs feature singing. The vocals on “Mirror” especially stood out to me. For a predominantly instrumental band, I suggest they have a serious rethink about their style. Hiding a voice as good as that is wasteful.

And of course the album includes the obligatory samples, like Maybeshewill would use in their early material. “Geometric Lace” features a sample about marijuana, and “Back Home Boulevard”  includes a quote about junkies, so I think it’s fair to say drugs influence the band in some way.

I feel like I’m a bit out of my element here because although it’s similar to some music I listen to, it’s at the same time quite different. I could allude to genres like electronica, trip-hop, dubstep, house… but I’m really not an authority on those matters. If I had to describe the songs “Above You” and “Reverb Nation” I’d have to use the phrase “beep boop boop”. Platonick Dive’s Facebook page categorises their genre as “Electronic Therapy With Feedback Explosions”, so I guess “beep boop boop BOOOOOM” would be more apt.

This is an album that I would expect to hear in a café. Background music that is a bit unusual and ‘arty’, but not something I’d chose to listen to at home. It is well crafted, and I enjoy parts of it, but I think at the end of the day I still prefer to listen to music that is actually played by people, more so than computers.

If you like post-rock and you’re not as uptight as I am about music being ‘real’ or ‘live’, then I’m sure you will enjoy Overflow.

Overflow releases on February 17th 2015