Twas the summer of London's sweltering heatwave and not a peep could be heard except the muffled sounds of city dwellers grumbling as they sought refuge indoors. More specifically for myself, hopping from Camden to Hackney, as the musical itch was simultaneously scratched by virtue of a diversified handful of acts spanning the breadth of gargling black metal to frenzied art pop.
Imperial Triumphant at The Dome, London
“The great machine is content for now…”
The monolithic black metal outfit produced an abruptly chilling show amidst the searing summer heat.
Barely a single distinguishable word was uttered to Tufnell Park’s packed Dome as the 3-piece, clad in black garments and their signature golden masks, sought to extenuate the temperature levels in a sweltering summer heat. The avant-garde trio offered a reeling myriad of spine-tingling guttural vocals from frontman Zahary Ezrin which invariably paled against the frenzied guitar tones and drum rhythms - taken from the critical acclaim of their ‘lockdown’ album Alphaville and their most recent LP, Spirit of Ecstasy.
Whilst the latter record failed to outdo the former in its breadth and ambition, it seemed a shame that the experimental, jazzier tendencies of Alphaville went amiss on an evening where blaring distortions and cataclysmic drumming were all the rave. Unfortunately so, the venue’s sound system proved inadequate in capturing the full scale of Imperial Triumphant’s microtonal repertoire, leaving the vocals difficult to decipher and the main guitar riffs trailblazing in the distance.
Within the hour, we were left to our own devices in the remainder of our Friday night as the outfit concluded a rapturous setlist, complete with the popping of champagne to mark the occasion. And whilst Imperial Triumphant’s impressive stream of records continue with their boundary-pushing sound, their live experience ultimately leaves more to be desired in the wake of their monolithic imprint.
6.5/10
Tune-Yards at Moth Club, London
“It’s a little bit hot in here - our minds have probably melted away...”
Tune-Yards’ blend of funky art-pop accentuates a summery pinnacle in Hackney.
Merrill Garbus seems the perfect embodiment to her music - quirky, upbeat, and jovial. Sporting a pale blue boiler suit alongside multi-instrumentalist Nate Brenner, the duo prove themselves infectiously upbeat amidst the sweltering heat of Hackney’s congested Moth Club - effortlessly enlisting an esteemed repertoire of loop-based tracks.
Whipping up a creative frenzy amongst layered vocal loops, fuzzy vocals, skittish drum fills and funky basslines, Garbus effectively takes heat of the crowd’s adoration for these stylistic leanings, through such tracks as 'Sink-O' and 'Water in the Fountain', remaining reminiscent to their contemporaries U.S. Girls, Animal Collective and LCD Soundsystem from the past 20 years.
Whilst parts of the set failed to connect the variety of dots pinpointed by Tune-Yards’ funky and uplifting sound, nothing can be taken from Garbus & Co’s electric vibrancy - simmering to a real boiling point at their set’s encore with ‘Hold Yourself’ and ‘Nowhere, Man’, as our minds proceeded to melt into the fibres of Moth Club’s eclectically golden aesthetic.
7/10
Deerhoof at Electric Ballroom, London
“I know it’s been a long gruelling evening but the singalong is mandatory.”
Drummer Greg Saunier’s skin-tight clothes stick to him as if he were born wearing them. Situated in the midst of an incredibly hot summer with the intensified, his rallying call clamoured the mass of people into Camden’s Electric Ballroom to view the timeless art rock act, Deerhoof.
This regaling action from Saunier comes in the middle of their set's intermission after a lengthy journey through Deerhoof’s dizzying catalogue spanning almost 20 years - swimming through a sea of experimental rock, noise pop and punk rock, Satomi Matsuzaki’s airy vocals underline the raw energetic power of the outfit’s repertoire.
Now on their 17th LP, Actually, You Can, Deerhoof prove even more frenetic, untampered and ferocious in their live set than on record - bolstered by an unwavering tenacity toward tempo splicing, wild instrumental solos and riffs, conducted at the furious helm of Greg Saunier whose outstretched limbs contort themselves to fit within his, comparatively, minute drum set on stage.
Whilst the band may never break beyond these sort of cramped venues, their legacy for bridging between such genres and sounds need no further statement - emphatically underlined by a collective, choral singalong made mandatory by Saunier which rejoices the return of a stoic, respected outfit from across the pond.
7/10
Imperial Triumphant's latest LP, Spirit of Ecstasy, is out now and can be found here.
Tune-Yards' latest LP, Sketchy, is out now and can be found here.
Deerhoof's latest LP, Actually, You Can, is out now and can be found here.
All photos are courtesy of Karolina Janikunaite, Magda Campagne and Marilyn Kingwell whose work can be found at their respective hyperlinks.
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