Marius Neset Live @ Brighton Dome Studio Theatre 04/05/13

European jazz came to Brighton for the first day of the 2013 Brighton Festival. For the second year, Marius Neset and his quartet brought their modern sound to a packed out Dome Studio Theatre.

Performing mostly numbers from his latest album Birds, the selection of numbers showed off Marius’ virtuosity on both Soprano and Tenor saxophones in equal measure. The songs took inspiration from post-bop players such as Wayne Shorter and Michael Brecker as well as classical music like Stravinsky and Steve Reich.

The set showed off Neset’s solo playing outside of the quartet too, as he explored he full range of the saxophone’s sonic range, from low, multi-tones through to piercingly high altissimo notes. The speed and accuracy of the playing was dazzling, performing complex passages with ease. Neset was also able to take a step out from the limelight, occasionally moving over to the side of the stage to allow the other members of the band to take priority for keyboard and bass solos.

The whole band really got into the groove of the music, giving an energetic performance, showing an improvisational ability and spontaneity which, combined with their togetherness as a group really showed the way in which the quartet reacted and interacted as a group.

If jazz and experimental, self-reflective instrumental music if for you, then definitely check out this young musician.

(Pic from airartistagency.com)

The Skints, Is Tropical, Thumpers & Blaudzun @ The Komedia, Brighton 16/05/13- The Great Escape Festival

The first evening of Brighton’s Great Escape Festival was in full swing when the acts scheduled for Komedia kicked off their night. The sheer diversity on offer from one venue over the course of the evening was astounding, from folk-infused pop, to noisy punk-dance through to dub-reggae, there was something for everyone, and, as the ever-changing makeup of the audience suggested, each group had their own fan base out in force.

First up, representing Holland for the evening was Blaudzun, a seven-piece group who mixed folk music and instruments with uplifting pop melodies, to create an uplifting and joyous set. The group had obviously won some fans earlier in the day at a previous gig the played in the city, as many in the audience had been so impressed by the first show that they felt a second time was a must. Between the various members in the band, the range of instruments played was staggering, all of them playing at least two or three different instruments (mandolins, banjos, trumpets, accordions and electric violins were amongst the instruments which were brought out at one time or another.) The band’s sound varied from uplifting pop-ish tracks, complete with folk-dance rhythms, to lighter sounds which the various extra instruments gave interesting textures to- creating washes of music which flowed over the audience, creating an ethereal atmosphere. It is not hard to imagine, especially with the make-up of the contemporary charts, this band- the project of Johannes Sigmund, his brother, and various others- rising in fame and popularity, with many of the songs sounding similar to various tracks which have shot into the public consciousness on the back of advertising campaigns.

Band two was London group Thumpers. Their brand of safe, commercial pop which seemed to have less depth than a puddle in the desert, and seemed devoid of much in the way of meaning and thought, won them a small following. The tracks were fairly similar and basic, following more clichés and set formulae than what constitutes “radical new music” than can be found in an issue of NME.

Next up, Is Tropical came to the stage in a blaze of distorted guitars, leather, punk-rock attitude and technical difficulties when it took a while for them to get their microphones to work properly. This additional frustration, however, seemed only to fuel further their angry mixture of rock and synthesised beats, which gradually increased as their curtailed set progressed. The trio, which was expanded by the addition of an extra singer for their final track, performed tracks which mixed thrashing guitar chords, brief solo passages and heavy drums with synth beats, meaning it took a short while to get used to their unusual sound, but once it was in full flow, it was hard not to enjoy their infectious grooves.

The final group was London dub-reggae outfit The Skints, on the first of their two Great Escape shows. The band’s urban, reggae sound, mixed with rapping and ska flavours has won them a large following over recent years, and the club was packed with a full audience, all skanking the night away. It was hard to remain still as The Skints’ upbeat rhythms kept up at an unrelenting pace. Three of the four members at various points took to the mic, each of them with a totally different vocal style, each of which perfectly suited the style of tracks they were singing- from melodious, slow dub-reggae, to rapid-fire ska to rapping over the Jamaica-meets-London mix. This melange of grooves and funky tunes made for a fantastic end to the night, far and away the best band on the bill, offering funky grooves and great sing-along tunes. (Although a brief attempt by an audience member at crowd at a stage dive/crowdsurf met with minimal success).

By the very nature of the Great Escape Festival, audiences are very fluid, moving from venue to venue to see different bands on different bills, which meant that the different groups and subcultures who flocked through the doors of Komedia on Thursday evening each brought with it a new atmosphere and a different energy- each in itself interesting to watch- giving the different bands appreciation. Although it would have been an interesting experiment to have the same audience stay in for all four of the evening’s bands, as at a standard gig as opposed to a festival event, to see what dynamic would emerge then.

Phil Demmel Jackson Guitar Clinic at GAK Brighton 20/04/13

A taste of the San Francisco Bay Area came to Brighton last night, as Phil Demmel, lead guitarist from modern thrash metal band Machine Head, gave a Jackson guitars clinic at the GAK music shop.

Along with a brief history of Jackson Guitars from the company representative who has been touring Europe alongside Phil Demmel, the modern thrash legend gave a brief talk about his guitar playing history, his influences (announcing his love of KISS), and the players who have inspired him to play- Angus Young and Randy Rhoads being the most stand out figures. The talk also traced his relationships with various guitars and members of his bands.

Of course, whilst there, a few Machine Head songs were played from the extensive back catalogue of tracks that he has worked on, along with a jam with Chris Cannella from the Jackson guitars workshop. Between these two players and plenty of choruses of “F**k yeah!” from the audience (complete with the horns \m/), the spirit of metal was certainly in residence, as huge riffs and crazy shred guitar solos were in abundance.  In that small room of barely 50 people, there was much more of an intimate atmosphere which helped bring Phil Demmel over as a really down to earth person who just happens to be in one of the planet’s biggest metal bands, touring the world. Although weeks on the road seemed to be taking their toll as my own question to him about musical influences outside the world of metal (i.e. Would one ever catch him listening to Beethoven or Miles Davis etc.) spawned a statement of solidarity with Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe in his manslaughter trial (a worthy cause in itself, but not quite what I was after as an answer).

After the talk Phil took the time for signings and photos with all the fans in the building and seemed genuinely willing to take the time to chat, despite his road-weariness.  

Subservience- Ripped in Half

Brutal, extreme and violent, Ripped in Half is a decleration of war from Brighton-based metallers Subservience. This 4 track EP shows that British death metal is healthy and remains a force to be reckoned with on the metal scene.

Subservience’s songs are all fast-paced, riff-led and full of double-kick drum barrages which never let up. The music is loud and in your face. The songs are all stripped back and no frills, 3 of them clocking in at little over 3 minutes, and the bonus track ‘Round 1, Fight!’ is only 10 seconds long.

There are few compromises or areas where they give in to technical wizardry alone- solos are minimal, and the majority of the album focuses on the angry, tight sound of the band as a whole.

Overall this EP is as good as any other extreme metal that I have heard recently; completely brutal, understated and unrelenting.  

7/10

Pink Narcissus- Blood on the Page

Described as “David Bowie meets Rage Against the Machine”, Pink Narcissus’ album Blood on the Page does provide a heavy dose of noisy, artsy rock music, which matches the poetic vocals and deep voice of David Bowie and a heavy, electric side with a funkier edge, which is more associated with Rage Against the Machine.

Full of fuzzy guitars and experimental sounds using feedback, the album provides a heavy rock riffs and rapid beats, whilst covering it with semi-choral lines and a frantic style of singing which brings across an eloquent form of anger and angst which is more effecting than other forms of “angry” music.

The six tracks presented on Blood on the Page are an interesting mixture of heavy, effects laden rock, complete with nods to more synth based styles from the 1980s, which makes the album engaging and eclectic. Pink Narcissus’ songwriting allows for massive changes in feel, tempo, and style, even within songs, with ‘The Great Divide’ alternating between heavier sections and occasional melodic areas. ‘Kingdom of the Blind’ also, starts with a series of seeming noises before a stricter rhythm begins, whilst a powerful bass which gives more than a passing nod to more electronic forms of music slowly builds up. This creates a powerful and atmospheric piece of music which really shows off the experimental nature of the band.

Overall, this is an interesting album, with off kilter-rhythms and occasionally disturbing sonic passages.

7/10

March The Desert- March The Desert

March The Desert’s latest release contains all the trademarks of the psychedelic metal which they claim to be attempting to emulate. Thick, distorted guitars playing groovy, slow riffs give the music a bounce, whilst the harsh vocal sound suits the science-fictional element of the lyrics.

The production side of the March The Desert EP leaves a lot to be desired. The vocals are at times overpowered by the rest of the band, which has a muffled sound, and at points the words are incomprehensible- even when they’re not meant to be. The whole album sounds very compressed, and could do with being made a lot clearer sounding. The drums at times blend completely in with the rest of the sound, which means that the album seems to lack the punchy rhythm that would hold the album together. The cymbals however seem to be left in prominence, creating a splashing, rhythmic sound which highlights the minimal drumming. In the points where the drums can be heard, they sound very loose and spongy, lacking any kick or punch.

The tracks have a slow, bluesy groove feel that has been drenched in distortion and various effects, giving the songs a trippy, stoner rock feel. These 6 long tracks all have a very similar feel: Slow and laid-back with a heavy, doom attitude. From time to time, the band let’s go and begins to show a technical side,

 Overall, the album has some fairly large production issues which seriously detract from the actual content. Musically, the band seems tight, but if felt like many of the tracks were using recycled ideas as the tracks lacked lots of individuality.

4/10 

New Jersey Nights- Theatre Royal, Brighton 30/03/13

Set in a bar in the early 1960s, “New Jersey Nights” brought the sounds of Frakie Valli and the Four Seasons to Brighton over the Easter Weekend.

The production showcases the hits of the band, and Frankie Valli’s solo tracks from the early 1960s right up to their most recent recordings. From early close harmony pop to more funky and rock and roll numbers from the 1970s and 80s, the four singers and their band had much of the audience up and dancing.

The show was, however, stuck somewhere between a tribute act and a full-blown show, without really being either. The band was mostly hidden at the back of the stage as if it wasn’t there, apart from the odd number which featured their saxophone or guitar player, whilst it was still acknowledged that it was there and still in full view, suited up in order to retain a coherent image. There was a small troop of background dancers who joined in on many numbers, but on the songs when they weren’t dancing they seemed to be milling around onstage, or half playing background characters.

Along with the music of the Four Seasons (As it’s Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, doesn’t that mean there should have been 5 of them in total?) The show also showcased the music of some of the acts which were closely associated with them in the 60s- other bands which profited from Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound”, such as the Crystals and the Ronettes. Their songs were performed well, although one of the three members was absent from the performance which I attended which gave their performances and dance routines a very lopsided feel.

Overall, the performance was all about the music, and was played more as a tribute show than as a full musical-style show with a plot, and as such, the songs were well performed (despite a bit of corpsing over issues with the key in which they sang “Blue Moon”).

6/10

Lazy Habits- Lazy Habits

Mixing Hip-hop beats with New Orleans Dixieland Jazz, Lazy Habits’ sound definitely keeps a mixture of the old and new well and alive.

Opening with an instrumental, New Orleans style funeral march “Processional”, Lazy Habits opens in a calm, sombre style, which is immediately revoked with the first full number, “Ashes”, showing how the group mixes rapped lyrics and brass jazz licks and riffs which creates a hard hitting style and enables the group to get a range of textures, fusing funky bass riffs, and piano melodies with the horns.

“Surface Dirt”, shows a more mellow side of the band, opening with a lilting piano solo before coming in with the rest of the band.

Lyrically, Lazy Habits retain just the hip-hop, rap style of vocals and tend to write about diverse subjects such as modern life, drug problems, and broken families.

The album is, at 16 tracks, a bit long, which means that there are some tracks that feel a bit like fillers, which could be taken out to still leave a fill length album. The tracks follow largely the same pattern, other than the opening and closing instrumental numbers (“Processional” and “Ghosts (On My Way/Small Screen)”- which closes the album in a lonely, melancholic style).

Overall, the album is very well written, and the quality of musicianship good too. But it could have done with a few fewer tracks in order to retain a high quality and more contrast between the songs.

5/10

Steve Reich- A lecture from the legendary modern classical composer

As far as guest lecturers go, Steve Reich, a legend of contemporary composition, and “The greatest living composer of our time” (New York Times) is up there with the best of them.

Reich, who, from the late 1960s, was key in the moving classical music into the 21^st century, pioneering the use of electronics, minimalist and experimental styles, came to Sussex University to talk about his work WTC 9/11. Written in 2009 in memorial to the World Trade Centre bombings, the piece uses a mixture of a string quartet with samples of documentary audio taken from the day of the World Trade Centre attack and interviews he conducted in the years afterwards.

The talk was conducted in the style of a mock interview between him and Andrew Burke, Chief Executive of the London Sinfonietta. Questions asked gave a fascinating insight into the processes that Steve Reich goes through when composing his music: what he does to treat vocal samples so that they can work with a musical ensemble; how he treats historic events that he composes about, and if he treats more recent events (such as 9/11) any differently to the way in which he approaches ones further in the past.

Steve Reich’s talk comes ahead of a concert at the Dome Theatre in which he, along with the London Sinfonietta, are performing a series of his seminal works, such as Clapping Music and Double Sextet along with a performance of a new work, Radio Rewrite, a new major work which takes its inspiration from the music of Radiohead.

London Philharmonic 23/02/13- American Night

An evening of American classics was on offer last weekend in the latest of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s current series of concerts at the Brighton Dome Theatre.

The Orchestra, conducted by Marian Alsop, treated the audience to captivating performances of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man”, Joan Tower’s “Fanfare For The Uncommon Woman”, Copland’s “Piano Concerto”, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9 From The New World”.

This eclectic and exciting program not only showed off the talents of a full orchestra, but enabled the talents of other musicians to be drafted into the fold for the evening- including up to three saxophonists and a banjo player.

The Piano Concerto, expertly played by Garrick Ohlsson showed off the simplicity of Copland’s writing, whilst allowing the soloist to show a laid back style of virtuosity often overlooked for technical prowess and speed.

The performance of Rhapsody in Blue was enjoyed by all, and allowed various instrumentalists the scope to show their worth- such as the iconic clarinet glissando that opens the piece.

The acoustic of the Brighton Dome gave the concert an added charm as normally indistinct parts leapt out into the foreground. Hearing the banjo part clearly for the first time was a refreshing change.

Overall, the evening was brilliantly performed by all, with a fantastic program choice, showing a different side of the orchestra and contrasted well with the rest of their concert series, performing pieces which are often overlooked.

9/10

Portico Quartet- Portico Quartet

Ethereal electronic soundscapes, weird harmonies. Jazz flavoured melodies, rhythms which have been borrowed from dozens of different world musics, and the inventive use of the Hang, a drum-like instrument not invented until the 2000s. This innovative instrument gives the group a distinctive sound and unique feel.

The tracks on this album show off the wide ranging influences, and skill of writing in the band- the majority of which are instrumental pieces, as opposed to songs. However “Sleepless”, which features the lyrical stylings of Cornelia, shows that this group can also pen a highly melodic song, as opposed to the more experimental soundscapes of “Window Seat”, or the ethereal groove of “Ruins”, which shows off the band’s take on melodic lines and harmonies from traditional East Asian music, whilst mixing them with a chilled-out 21^st Century feel, mixing in an additional modern jazz element. Spinner shows off the band’s Jazz influences to great effect; opening with a swinging bass riff which is covered by a Jan Garbarek-esque Soprano Saxophone melody.

The biggest selling point of this group is the atmospheric nature of their writing style. The music can just wash over you and all of a sudden you’re at the end of the album without realising that you’ve listened to a full 10 tracks. This spacey grooviness is definitely one to put on and relax to.

7/10

King Porter Stomp- The Shuffle

King Porter Stomp, an ever-expanding band from Brighton offer a seemingly ever-changing mixture of Ska, Dub and Hip-hop. Bringing a new look and interesting take on these genres, King Porter Stomp show here the sheer range of styles and grooves that they can use. From the Dance-y Ska number of the title track “The Shuffle”, to the sophisticated, laid back groove of “Let it all Out”, to the Latin-edged raver that is “The Last Bat Train to Cuba.”  

The opening number “The Shuffle” shows off a little bit of everything the whole album has to offer, mixing a heavy, funky beat with Ska-based horn lines and a rapid-fire, machine-gun lyrical style.  The track keeps building and dropping throughout, retaining interest and bringing the track to a point where it all has to break down to a heavily danceable groove.

This shows exactly how the rest of the album continues, complete with a barrage of funky riffs, dirty grooves, and an aware, relevant and critical lyrical style. The way in which the album is ordered shows awareness for the styles, offering a mix of upbeat anthems and chilled out tracks.

King Porter Stomp have only been growing in the last year, both in terms of band members and in audience size, and should only continue to do so. With regular packed out gigs and large festival performances which go from strength to strength, spreading the word of this brand of good time music to an international audience.

7/10

Smerins Anti-Social Club- Primordial Cordial

Whether it is upbeat instrumental Ska-based, highly danceable funk, or if it’s an arrangement of a famous TV Theme remade in a completely unexpected fashion, there’s seemingly nothing that this collective can seem not to be able to play.

This nine-piece group of instrumentalists take influences from wherever they can, collaborating with a wide range of underground vocalists from all across the South of England. The sheer range can be heard in the way that the main guest vocalists on the album are Nuala Honan, a soulful singer, who’s powerful vocal chords create an added melodic layer to the already complex melodies of the group as a whole, and Dizraeli who lends his culturally aware, critical, occasionally scathing and satirical style of underground rapping to a ska-based backing. Whichever any one person prefers is irrelevant, as both vocal styles, and any others in between, work incredibly well with the music. The plurality here can best be seen with the Swing-inspired track “The Alibi”, featuring Nuala, and Celebrate (A Vague Recollection of a Tw*t) which stars Dizraeli, both showing off the incredible talents of these two stand-out vocalists.

Other highlights include a Dub-Ska rendition of Doctor Who (Yes, the theme from the television show) which, featuring Tenor Fly, is a great, chilled out groove with a heavy beat which drives the whole track forward.

Not only is the music this band produces high energy stuff, but their shows also show the quality and enthusiasm that the band produces, packing out clubs with crowds of energetic, enthusiastic supporters dancing the night away.

8/10

Yes Sir Boss- Desperation State

Diversity could be Yes Sir Boss’ watchword. Ska, soul, funk, rock and pop are just a selection of the genres which are not only tackled on Desperation State, they are fully explored and conquered.

Signed to Joss Stone’s label, Stone’d Records, and featuring Miss Stone herself singing on the soul/pop “Mrs #1”, YSB have been going from strength to strength; touring the UK and Europe relentlessly to packed out houses.

Desperation State opens with the fantastic title track, a belter from start to finish. This Gypsy-Ska is the perfect number to open the album with, showing off a little of almost everything that the band draws from. Tight horn riffs weave between the vocal lines in a snakelike fashion as the dynamic of the track moves from an a capella intro to a massive Anthemic finish. This is followed by the Mariachi-styled trumpet instrumental “The Situation.” And here comes my biggest criticism, at a mere 43 seconds, “The Situation” is really just an intro to the next track, without being a real piece in its own right.

While some of the tracks feature fairly complicated horn riffs, it would be a bonus to be able to hear the players really let rip and show what they can do in longer solo sections or instrumental tracks.  Merging seamlessly from the atmospheric mariachi style of “The Situation” comes “Not Guilty.” This Ska-Punk rocker goes to show how heavy the band can play, whilst still retaining the bounce and groove that makes a Yes Sir Boss gig one that’s impossible to remain still during. The two-tone influence is evident from the start of not guilty, as the song builds and builds to a heavier, rocky climax.

The other real stand out track on Desperation State is the more soulful number “Mrs #1”, which opens with an upbeat acoustic intro, before introducing a groovy backbeat that blends with the guest vocals of Joss Stone. The track mixes her more soulful style with the rough and ready attitude of YSB.  The track allows for the horns to show a different side, playing a mixture of Soul grooves and stabs rather than the more riff-based ideas of the rest of the tracks on the album written just for the band.

As a whole, the entire album is solid, keeping the groove of the band going for all of the 11 tracks. Without a single bad track on the entire disc, it’s hard to pick out any favourites. Although “Desperation State”, “Not Guilty” and “Mrs #1” being the ones that give the best idea of the vast range of styles that the band play.

9/10

Ellen & The Echo- Round Two/Memo Review

Acoustic guitars; breathy, chordal harmonicas; and lyrics centred on the un-fairness of life; modern Folk music in general can be a rather tedious, repetitive and slow genre; following standard formulae without much in the way of variety. This is a comment that doesn’t apply to Round Two, the debut offering from Brighton-based Ellen & The Echo. These whimsical folkies have managed to capture a cross section of acoustic styles and relaxed, tasteful pop. The haunting trumpet lines which pierce through the tracks create a chilled out atmosphere and gives the whole EP a slightly Jazzy feel.

The EP covers many kinds of folk. From acoustic guitar-led slow, mournful songs, to “Tell Me This” which is reminiscent of the Folk-Rock tracks from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Especially as the lyrics seem to have a similar theme: “You hit me once, I hit you twice. You want to play naughty I think you’re too nice…”

 Tasteful additions of little trumpet riffs and soulfully harmonised backing vocals make this 8-piece sound larger than it really is. Tripped Up no only shows off the slow, tastefulness of Ellen’s vocal lines, but also gives the electric guitar a chance to show off in an Eagles Ballad-style solo. Harmonica features in folk songs are often a dangerous idea, with many a good track being ruined by an incessant, chordal breathing in and out over the top of the rest of the music. Instead, the minimal way in which it is used makes “Memo” into a slow, mountain shuffle, which underlies a slow trumpet line. The range of Ellen’s vocals is wider than a great many singers that are out there nowadays, which gives the tracks an emotional depth.

This album is very well written, with most emphasis on the quality of the song-writing,, as opposed to any technical wizardry so to speak. What makes the EP work is the fact that it has that old-world feel, suggesting a world where folk music and electric instruments were colliding for the first time.

8/10