It’s the same band, the same post-punk, but there’s something profoundly different about Adore Life; the clue is in the title. Where Silence Yourself was dark, philosophical and militaristic in its aphorisms, Adore Life is an altogether warmer experience. Savages’ intensity is matched with a tenderness that creates a disarmingly vulnerable listening experience. The title track ‘Adore’ embodies this fusion as Beth’s simple refrain reverberates across silence, Morrissey-esque in its plaintive eagerness; ‘I adore life’. However, the album is not wholly introspective; ‘T.I.W.Y.G’ is ferocious in its energy, with each drumbeat as sharp as a gunshot. Paradoxically, ‘Sad Person’ is altogether funnier, managing to be both acerbically cutting and uplifting. Adore Life is an absorbing and engaging release.
So Alt J are back once more with this triumphant video release. The video itself is a gem to behold: the cinematography is superb, the acting subtle yet highly evocative, and the overall tone of defiance that Nabil creates matches perfectly with the single’s insistent urgency. The ideas of consumption, fire and self-immolation were also fascinatingly brought together and laced with a subtle sense of release that was impressively portrayed by the actor. Alt J are back! Also I would just like to take this time to mention that personally I’m damn impressed with the Miley sample, sounded so well integrated with the track and an interesting break from their usual style. More of the same please!
Apart from their self-affirmation that they are a normcore duo from VIOV – CHINATOWN, not much is known about the enigmatic twosome that is #XI. #XI ( hashtag X I? Number 11?) have released their latest single Lovecraft, with collaboration from musician Sundays, a gem which has been floating across the wide expanse that is the internet.
To get straight to the point, this single is an ethereal, otherworldly pleasure which can be described as nothing other than resolutely chill. The atmosphere that #XI create with their almost down-tempo inspired electronic beats makes for a wistfulness that wouldn’t be out of place on a sunny sunday afternoon at the close of a busy week. For me, the feeling that #XI create with this single is highly intriguing. Initially the cooing wordless vocals of Sundays combined with the haunting beat reminded me of a fuller, more textured version of a chillout deep house track. As a result of this, I was then subsequently surprised at the almost old-school guitar solo towards the end of the song that acted as a wordless response to the vocalist, which seemed to marry the electronic side of the track to a more traditional idea of guitar based indie music. An interesting single from the mysterious #XI, with a promise of more to come.
With a low-key online presence, including nothing more than a few youtube videos and some pixellated shots in a snowy forest, not much is known about the enigmatic Spooky Black. However, this sense of mystery only serves to heighten the otherworldly, transcendental quality of Spooky‘s fluid, narcotic R&B.
Rarely do I get so excited for the advent of a new artist, as in this day most music seems to be painted with the same passionless veneer of commerciality, which inspires the same level of creativity and individuality as the magnolia paint in your mum’s living room. In contrast to this, Spooky Black paints his music with a sprawling, rich palette of dark crimsons and arterial purples, creating an almost oceanic depth to his magnetic dusky grooves, so that each song becomes a completely immersive experience. The pure emotion that radiates from Spooky‘s songs makes for a uniquely hypnotic listening experience. Spooky‘s expertly produced tracks (particularly ‘Without U’) almost take on the quality of a sonic high, darkly addictive, but with each song lifting the listener to a state of delirious, enraptured delight and leaving them continuously wanting more.
The swirling beat coupled with Spooky‘s soaring velveteen vocals also creates another layer of depth to the song as it provides a subtle human urgency and sensuality to the track. This creates a sense of purgation, as though the song itself is a cleansing experience, purifying you, yet at the same time entrenching you deeply into the strongest, most manifest essence of what each song is trying to convey, be it love, loss or lust.
Continue to ignore Spooky Black to your complete and utter detriment – he is on the fringes of bursting into the spotlight.
As I stood in the dimly lit, foam ceilinged venue room of The Louisiana, what struck me the most was the audience, not just in terms of diversity (ages ranged from what looked like fourteen to late fifties) but also in terms of energy. Before any of the supports even began to thrash at their guitars, the buzzing atmosphere foreshadowed the intensity that was to be Eagulls’ set.
The night began with an energetic set from Milo’s Planes, opening with the racing drum fill of ‘Vultures’ which injected the room with a hefty dose of energetic punk, and resulted some rather over-enthusiastic head banging from several audience members. Despite technical issues, namely the front man tuning the wrong string three times and then proceeding to forlornly admit to his error, they left the stage on a high. Their blinding, reverb-heavy cover of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Sister Ray’ seemed to hang deliciously in the air – and my eardrums, long after the set was over. The second support,Autobahn, sounded like the moodier, existential older brother of Milo’s Planes, with singer Craig Johnson crashing through the set like a debauched madman, regularly snarling into the crowd.
By the time Eagulls were set to play, voices were raised, hair was being tied back, sleeves were being rolled up, and elbows were primed and ready for what was to be an exhilarating set. From the very first song, the raw energy of the band seemed to transform the room into a brutal yet overwhelmingly joyful miasma of limbs, fists and sweat. Eagulls’ unbridled ferocity made for what could only be described as a borderline religious experience. Frontman George Mitchell’s growling passionate vocals provoked a trance-like frenzy from the crowd, all of whom seemed to grasp this sinister energy and throw it back at the band in a primeval display of adoration.
photos (c) Louise Brady
The pure urgency of their songs shone throughout the set, particularly with crowd pleaser ‘Nerve Endings’ which prompted a barrage of feral moshers to launch themselves headfirst into the crowd. Despite it’s charged racing nature, what stuck with me with ‘Nerve Endings’ was its sense of honesty. In previous interviews Mitchell has described the song as an expression of his anxiety, and there was definitely a sense of cathartic release during the song, caught up in the infectious, relentless bass line and lashings of guitar feedback. The summery vibes of ‘Moulting’ also created a sense of camaraderie within the pit as several sweaty youths moshed in unison, with their arms laced around each other’s shoulders.
At the end of the set swarms of clammy teenagers and adults alike, who had previously never met, were slapping each other’s backs in fervent displays of solidarity. This overriding intensity of experience seems to be something that Eagulls thrive in and feed off, making them an electrifying, dizzying force to be reckoned with.
As soon as I stepped foot in the colossal foyer of Colston Hall I could almost taste the waves of excitement radiating across the venue. The atmosphere was packed with a heady rush of anticipation. The crowds of people congregating at the doors were tipsy and merry, engaging in fervent conversation with other drunken revelers, preparing for their fix of chill house beats. You may be asking yourself – who was this anticipation for? However, if you are a sentient human being then you are most probably aware of the massive hype that surrounded Bonobo’s highly anticipated, sold out show.
The set opened with support DJ Catching Flies animatedly flipping switches and pressing buttons to create a sultry smooth tone. His breezy song ‘Grey Skies’ created an overarching sensation of relaxation that made virtually everyone in the crowd nod their heads emphatically. Catching Flies’ timed his drops well, plunging the crowd into atmospheric moments of calm. His layered vocal samples, and brass interludes made for a vibe not far from the warm dusky nights of summer. His cheekily subtle steel drum sample was also effective and vaguely stylistically similar to Jamie xx’s ‘Far Nearer’.
By the time Catching Flies’ had finished his set, the crowd’s anticipation was almost palpable, so when the downtempo legend himself stepped onstage with a greeting of “Hey Bristol, It’s been a long time!” the crowds cheer for Bonobo became deafening. He then promptly opened the set with ‘Cirrus’, which made the venue erupt in flailing arms. The bass of the track combined with the bells made for a truly euphoric listening experience. This was heightened as the song became amplified a thousand-fold by the soaring acoustics of Colston Hall creating an all-encompassing embrace of sound. Bonobo’s use of material from Black Sands also made for an engaging set as the whirling, danceable beats of ‘We Could Forever’ seemed to rouse most of the sitting audiences to their feet to jam the night away.
photo from colstonhall.org
Bonobo’s live band was chosen perfectly as each band member worked in perfect unison to deliver a slick, tight set. The drummer in particular blew the crowd away showcasing his almost ridiculous levels of talent during a freestyle drum solo. The show’s visuals also matched the precision of the band, each light highlighting the mesmerising nature of the music so that it seemed almost as though we could catch a glimpse of another world behind the hypnotic lighting. This was seen in full force during ‘Transits’ as the lights dimmed to a soothing orange glow, as though the stage was bathed in candlelight, highlighting the intimacy of the song.
The experience of watching Bonobo is a difficult one to pin down, as each song seems like its own universe, provoking a kind of temptation to lose yourself in each of the discrete moments of his songs. Bonobo’s music is that of introspection, but the communal experience of it at Colston hall seemed to create a feeling that a momentous secret was shared with each of the audience members. This sense of awe was showcased perfectly by the impressed murmurs of a couple sitting next to me, who looked stunned before simply concluding with the following: “That was fucking brilliant.”
On hearing the name ‘Hester’ one evokes a vague feeling of glowing warmth, and fittingly this eponymous band bring a sense of this tenderness and spark to their unique sound. The South London six-piece consist of Luke Bower on vocals and guitar, Ella Rimmer on vocals, Arthur Bentley on guitar, Ellis Dupuy on drums and electronics, Rico Komolafe on bass, and Poppy Daniels on trumpet. Their tracks currently available online have a rich sense of wistfulness to them, as each seem to express the complexity of love and loss, through a touchingly sparse and carefully composed instrumental. The lyricism of Hester’s songs also shine throughout, particularly with the simplicity of their refrains, and the silken smoothness of their unlaboured rhymes.
As well as their more subdued tracks, Hester are definitely a band to experience live. Their performance at Brainchild Festival’s relaunch party at the eve of 2014 showed off their funkier, groovier tracks provoking the crowd to flail their limbs joyously to their uplifting sounds. During their set an audience member described the band’s sound as “Space jazz” – which although I don’t find completely accurate, definitely embodies the sense of otherworldliness and wonder that comes through their music.
So If you haven’t checked out Hester, continue to ignore them at your own detriment – For more chill noises check Hester’s Soundcloud, or alternatively their Facebook for updates.
With the fervent buzz of hype surrounding her early releases and the mounting media interest in her trademark brand of sultry, hypnotic R&B, Banks has certainly made a distinct impression on the music scene, and is set to touch down at Bristol’s Trinity Centre in the coming month.
Banks’ darkly intense grooves give each of her songs an overpowering sense of magnetism, as each track seems to grab you by the throat, dangerous, yet at the same time seductively smooth, making for a truly cathartic listening experience. This very sense of catharsis is what makes Banks’ music so powerful, particularly in ‘Waiting Game’, as the raw power of her lyrics combined with the stark, almost minimalist instrumental, creates a gravity that seems to connect intimately with the listener.
The intimacy that Banks creates with her soulful melodies is captured perfectly with her own statement, that the catharsis her music creates “is air and blood. It’s everything.” This brooding, poignant sense of urgency certainly touches listeners to the core, and will definitely be one to experience live.
Watch the video for the amazing ‘Waiting Game’ right here:
Last year, UK Producer Simon Green, more famously known as the downtempo legend Bonobo, released his fifth studio album North Borders. Despite a leak and the ensuing rushed release, the album still caused a buzz with house lovers across the globe as a result of his distinctive introspective sound. Bonobo is set to bring his ambient melancholy grooves to Bristol at the beginning of next month for a sold out show at Colston Hall.
With his trademark silken percussion, subtle echoing vocal loops, and expert production, Bonobo’s latest album still maintains a sense of organic warmth that many other electronic musicians seem to lose, creating a soulful yet chilled blend of early morning wind-down music.
The main single ‘Cirrus’ perfectly embodies Bonobo’s strengths, with it’s chiming uplifting tempo, designed perfectly to warm up a DJ set, or to coax crowds into motion. So for the lovers of chill hypnotic beats (i.e the majority of Bristol’s population) Bonobo’s show is guaranteed to have you on your feet, waving your arms, and dancing the night away.
With the release of their infamously sardonic open letter addressed “TO ALL BEACH BANDS SUCKING EACH OTHERS DICKS AND RUBBING THE PRESS’ CLITS” and the raucous urgency of their DIY punk, Eagulls have introduced themselves to the music scene in tornado of venom, anger and fuzzy guitar, and are destined to arrive of at Bristol’s Louisiana on 28th February, as a part of their UK tour.
Eagulls’ music perfectly embodies the archetypal punk slacker aesthetic, as well as simultaneously delivering a sense of vitality that makes their music energising and exciting, as can be heard in ‘Nerve Endings’ and ‘Fifteen’. Critics of Eagulls will probably condemn them for lack of originality, but in this age of commercial supremacy, their low-fi sound and approach (they recorded their album on cassette and sold it for next to nothing) still remains refreshing.
The band’s charging bass, relentless drumming and gruff, insistent vocals create a sonic quality intended to be experienced live – and with their scrappy punk leanings, their show will definitely be one to remember.
See their tour poster for full live dates and check out ‘Nerve Endings’ here:
BLOOMHOUSE MUSIC 