Gig review 23rd of January M/S Svalbard
Fréderick Galiay (FR) Elbas, David Linnros/Saxophone & Electronics , Niklas Korsell/Drums & Percussion Yann Le Nestour/Compressed air, machinery |
I was invited to probably Stockholms most beautiful and interesting "Venue".
The machine room on Yann Le Nestours boat Svalbard.
A beautiful boat with one of Stockholms most breathtaking views of City Hall and Kungsholmen.
The evening starts with soup and wine and mingling where everyones opening ine seems to be are you a "boatperson" or a "musicperson". Because the audience seems to be divided between the tour. Music fans and people who live on boats.
Someone asked me if I had a boat and i replied that my wife owns a boat.
And they asked me where it was, how big it is etc...and when I explained that I didnt actually live on the boat the look I got was of disdain and distrust. In their eyes I am a complete sellout.
The gig was held in the machineroom. Its cold and smells of gasoline and oil.
The first set starts with low rumbles and mumbles from Fréderick Galiays bass interrupted by small flourishes and waves of electronics from David Linnros.
Its slow and fast at the same time. Yann leNestour "plays" the boat turning machines on and off, contactmicrophones dispersed thruout the machineroom.
I have often been frustrated by how guitars and basses often feel like they are frozen in time. They are relics to be played in one way. A out of tune guitar feels like a revolution.
A crime against the ear.
Frederick Galiays approach to the instrument (electric bass) is refreshing, ruthless and utterly inspiring. Using kitchen utensils, slides and bows he makes the bass a mutifacetted orchestra. Its almost as if he started with a slide and then went looking for something to slide it on.
The tempo is free and the composition stalls occasionally like a conversation between strangers. And then all of a sudden it starts up again. A new idea pushes the piece forward.
Yann le Nestours setup.
The second set is more "traditional" with David swapping electronics for his sax and Niklas Korsell joining on drums. The volume is pushed up several notches and it all becomes more frantic. Ideas bouncing back and forth quickly.
As a drummer I was very impressed by Niklas Korsell. Moving between instruments seemlessly and constantly changing pace and texture. As a drummer coming from a fairly traditional background I find it exciting and frightening to hear a drummer who is so free of the boundaries of a steady tempo. New ideas connecting into each other making change the only constant.
Clank, tink, booooom.
In this more traditional setting the Music also is more accessible. Building to a climax that has a almost Crimsonesque energy but in a more parallell way. They are playing together, going towards a goal. It is just not certain that they will get there at the same time or
using the same roads.
To me this is the kind of music you have to hear live see the communication on stage.
Its abstract, noisy and sometimes hard to grasp.
The information attacks all senses.
I would never listen to a recording of it.
I realize how vague all of this sounds.
This is art, music and performance in a setting where the lines all blurr.
Frederick Galiay, some swedish dude and Yann LeNestour
Thank you Yann for a great night.
Photos by Fredrik Eckardt
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete