Live show reports / comments

Started by FreakAnimalFinland, July 25, 2011, 09:35:36 AM

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MT

Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on August 17, 2023, 10:09:35 AMJust like mr. Atrophist was talking elsewhere about his own intent when organizing things. Putting together new, old, unknown, known, the brutes and the nice guys, in his words kind of forcing different corners of noise together. I don't know if it even requires force. More like opportunity to be so. Instead actively working against noise and creating obstacles, just allowing noise to happen as is. That combined to enough space between sets, and possibility to talk to people. Actual gathering of noiseheads, not just bar with dull background music trying to force everybody "shut up and drink".  I like!

My thoughts exactly! And no one got traumatized, instead everyone had a great time, lots of new contacts and lots of noise chatter.

TVS

Quote from: HateSermon on August 17, 2023, 05:16:48 AMNovitshok has only one self released cd (according to discogs)? Hopefully new material is in the works. Any talks of this at the show?

I hear there is a new album coming out later this year.

FreakAnimalFinland

Video report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtNGMB-4l-I

EPÄMUSIIKIN ILTA live show - Helsinki 1.9.2023

Atrophist announced that this will be his last gig this year and will return later on. Man has improved constantly and it was pleasure to listen material with decent sound system. Harsh and fierce noise electronics and voodoo action. Man moving slowly from task to another to keep sound going, but having this easygoing pace and keeping noise busy enough, yet pretty stable. I would wait that he gets good recording of stuff what he is able to do these days and it would probably make him more noticed also abroad?

Amek-Maj being pretty much clear headed on this gig, and not so wild physical action, but I dare to say noise-wise he probably topped even the Turku gig. Keeping set sorter and to the point, and most of all the physical noise object sound was far more sharp and fierce compared to bassy rumble of previous gig I was at. Man is master of his craft already. Of course even earliest material that became debut tape on Freak Animal was already on level I didn't hesitate single moment to offer release. From then on, he just gets better and better! There is level of brokenness, harshness, weirdness, the unpredictability as well as know-how and craftmanship that makes his live attacks really good to listen to - and also watch!

Augmented Atrocity is half of the Kovana, but by intent, it isn't just puoli kovana, but something new, attempt to find something of new identity for sound than doing the same with new name. There are still many Kovana elements there, but you got noise, shakers with efx, metal junk, heavy electronics soundscapes, oddly effected vocals and so on. The clip you see on video doesn't show entire spectrum of ideas and sounds he went though the set. Decent stuff and I personally feel that this type of gig in middle of harsh noise sets is perfect.

Not that I would reject good harsh noise set. Not at all. Rotat was harsh, and really great. Back in the day when artists did his early stuff, influences were name dropped with bands like Taint and Smell & Quim etc. So, in other words, you got the filth and fierce noise assault, but along with it, goes the total absurdity. Prankster costume choices that makes no sense, absolutely demented slideshow on the back. Absolute favorite being Danny and Helmi pic suddenly on the screen, haha... Total gutter humor and nonsensical bad taste combined with great sounding noise. Rotat is absolutely great project, both recordings and live.

Final gig was Vigilantism. His set consisted mostly the monochrome harsh electronic synth "tone". Rumbling mid-bass frequency noise continues long time and eventually higher synth swirls, rhythmic noise crashes and such started to take over. Best moments were somewhere middle of the set, when the monotony was broken with more piecing feedback type of material. Vocals with delay efx went about half of the set. Gig was decent, but I personally would have probably put Rotat as last, as while the grim and lifeless power electronics / noise drone and such are great, as ending climax of night, harsh noise fireworks tends to be best for the grande finale.

Size of venue was good. You can fit a bit more people than now, but not huge amount more. Even now, there was noise fans from Germany and even USA who traveled all the way into Finland to catch this weekend. Huh...  Think about finns who may have complaints of too many gigs or spend time in less noble noise-hating activities, while there is enough vitality to pull people from other side of the world to take part. Excellent, and I would estimate another great noise year for 2024.
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Manhog_84

The singular Finnish noise organizing is back on full force now. Friday was good, but Saturday blew me away. Ironclad was good first act, as it relied on slow, menacing atmosphere. Double vocalist's screams hit hard when they suddenly blasted during the first track. The approach seemed more crude experimenting with sounds, even though these guys knew what they were doing. New tape is good, different from the first one with more murkier sound and buried vocals. Hopefully more new material emerges. Next Grunt delivered one of his best performances. Mix was perfect as you could hear everything clearly. Controlled industrial noise cacophony that was more intense than Turku gig. Was it a washboard hanging on the wall, that was used for metallic clanging sound. Anyway it sounded great. Xenophobic Ejaculation/Zyklon SS was total sound terrorism. Longer and steadily moving set with elements from both artists. When the more high pitched sound and vocals dropped and the stomach turning sound pressure kicked in, it sent a nauseating and ear damaging wave through the venue. Insane. Combination of intense bunker, powerful PA and performances from the masters of vile and hateful noise, my initial feeling was that this was one the best noise gigs I have witnessed.

FreakAnimalFinland

Helsinki 2.9.2023

The private gig was about 30 people and there were even guys from the USA, Germany and France. The instructions were not to advertise and if even 10 more people had come there, I would have really been in trouble how to gather more people, heh! Iron Clad pulled rude power electronics sound, the songs on the surface and those in the background. The volume is still quite mild (I mean in context of what was about to come...), as those sounds only came from the one bass ampt and the vocals only from the PA, so not really quite blending in. I think they wanted that clarity, so it may have been just "artistic choise". If there is somewhat a bit lo-fi recording of this, it could very well be decent, even if live situation the elements were a bit detached depending where you stood.
The Grunt gig was more compact and noisier than the previous couple. It was known that there was going to be a long and fierce headliner set, so the choice was to make a set with a lot of events... maybe in just over 15 minutes? I'll have to check the tape. Junk metal came out damn well from the sound system. The volume was hard and it was really fun to play. This gig was also without a real soundcheck. Just quickly checking I had connected right cables to mixer before starting. So there was sometimes a bit of adjusting to devices or sounds that behaved differently. In addition, in the small claustrophobic space you really had to stand in the middle of the crowd and couldn't move anywhere, but it was even useful for the gig. One of the metal objects was not "washboard", but some sort of metal grid, perhaps to cover windows or bigger ventilation systems. It was supposed to be used at Turku show, but was forgotten in back room. Now made it first time to live gig.

The XE-ZZS collaboration gig was one of the most amazing I've ever heard. The amount of volume was so brutal. Bands own bass amps were used with "550W"-type powers, so we kind of got into such a Sunn o))) -mood that the earplugs are of course necessary, BUT, in the end, they don't help much when the sound pressure pierces all tissues. ZSS industrialnoise bass frequency rumble of pulse vibrated from testicles to eardrum, though your skull. The best parts were the XE vibes, where the bass was not non-stop, but when the high pitched upper tones were on the surface, the bassy noise crashes and rumbles came through sweetly, like abruptly breaking the sound, and not giving non-stop bodymassage.  Undeniably, at times I already got the feeling that not all this volume is necessary, and it could be done with less volume... one life, one ears, you know, heh! But without a doubt, the roaring sound pressure being like a noise orgasm is great, and sometimes you just had to use your hands to protect your head and close your eyes and enjoy to utmost noise pressure!

Club Lupercalia gig
It was still early everning, so realistically could drive to center of town and be there 22:00 to reach most of noise bands of other noise gig! So it was a difficult situation to decide what to do, hang out with people or go for more noise? Well... more noise! Perhaps the choice turned out to be bad after all. Because the place was kind of terrible. Of course, there were good sides.

So, the Slogan Motto gig was a great, slightly eerie drone sound, and I felt that the set was perhaps based on the same idea that was used in previous gigs/tours? There were so many recognizable elements at the set that you got the feeling that the same sound source was playing as before? Juho Toivonen (Akti Records, Free Tala, etc) pulled a quiet and slowly developing sound that draws from the direction of "Swedish woolen socks noise", like some call it in Finland, haha... Elegant eerie piano sounds, noises and hisses and the man holding a couple of buttons intensely barely turning them, the sounds themselves being pre-recorded stuff. Good gig, but damn it sucks when you couldn't hear this under all the bar chatter! A bar full of people, of which maybe 5-10% at most who are interested in what's on stage and the rest are having shouting competition with each other and an endless stream past the stage to outside to have smoke or to the counter to get drinks.

When people laugh that gigs are organized in some dying bars in the side villages or private gigs in barns, rented rooms or whatever.., I say it is 10,000 times better. A bar corner gig is ok if there are a couple of people filling in sudoku and drinking tap-lager. Some trendy bar in the heart of Helsinki...pff... it could be that this was the last one I went to myself. I think people associate "invite show", "private show", "undisclosed location", "contact for details" -type of show with notion that there is something dubious going on. It would be better if people realize it is most often nothing dubious, but merely NOISE FOR NOISE FANS! Often with limited space, and merely logistics require you control how many could be taken in, how to be prepared that you don't need to say to long distance traveller than "sorry, we all don't fit in!". haha..

The noise crowd was there too, but everyone I talked to was more or less in the same mood that noise doesn't really get its rights here! The art exhibition was also good. Sami Hynninen and Irina Kaipio were really good, with clear and skillful pencil marks and strange subjects. There were other good ones.

At the end of the evening, Keränen made a noise. A couple of guitar cabinets to which the synthgear were connected and with his relaxed style the man pulled a rather statically rumbling harsh start to the set. For a while, loud chatter of the bar was a little bit in the background. Set was mostly aimlessly going on "a flock of chickens" -electronics and after which a quieter electronic drone started. Then the conditions hit me in the face like a wet rag. The audience roars and Keränen seems to have kind of lottery of what button does what, what sound he could get out of this, until the turns off gear and thanks. Taking into account how intense and hard the gigs were all over the weekend, we can easily estimate effect of venue / circumstances.
 
I personally have a strong guess that every artist on this last gig would have been significantly better under the conditions of, for example, the Friday gig. Toivonen would have been almost perfect if the seats at Friday's concert venue had been grabbed for the audience and you could have sat in complete silence - only with the sound created by the artist taking over the space.
That's what I said to Friday's organizer. It would be good to arrange such a "sitting gig". They don't have to be just auditorium events for men in suits, but for example a set in style of Toivonen would work 100% guaranteed when all the restless social life has been cleared from the situation. If clear advice is that we are here for the sound. Who wants to socialize with friends, goes outside and the rest can sit on the chairs, drink the picnic beers and listen elegant hissing and piano loops! For such evening, audio-visual combinations and slowly developing sets would be more suitable. Hopefully such gig would be done at some point! I would think that even acts like Commando 15, Haudat, Aprapat, YANA, Toivonen, and others would be in favor if the conditions. You can develop set little by little while the "noise moshpit" or the usual bar life etc. is not in front of the table. You can feel free to do it maybe in the style studio / reh place, when you don't need to immediately hit the noise climax, but can go little off route to experiment and build thing up.
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Atrophist

Quote from: Manhog_84 on September 03, 2023, 10:07:07 AMWhen the more high pitched sound and vocals dropped and the stomach turning sound pressure kicked in, it sent a nauseating and ear damaging wave through the venue. Insane. Combination of intense bunker, powerful PA and performances from the masters of vile and hateful noise, my initial feeling was that this was one the best noise gigs I have witnessed.

Like I mentioned to a friend in a private convo, probably genuinely approaching Danger Music territory. If a certain Good Samaritan standing next to me had not slipped me a pair of earplugs about halfway through the gig, I doubt that I would still be alive. :D

HateSermon

Hope this means some sort of follow up to Glorious New Regime...

Balor/SS1535


Balor/SS1535

Quote from: HateSermon on September 03, 2023, 08:36:13 PMHope this means some sort of follow up to Glorious New Regime...

Or a video...

FreakAnimalFinland

Like mentioned in recent posts, Finns have been really spoiled with abundance of noise live! I guess every weekend something for a while. And more is coming! This this month will be Puce Mary in espoo, Ahola & Silander, Augmented Atrocity and HC/AK collab in Helsinki, some sort of noise event in Turku I suppose (not sure what line-up was), and in turn of month probably gig in Tampere too! Damn!

8.9. Kulttuuritallit, Kouvola
Small city eastern Finland, "culture stables" is literally that. No more horses, but rough summer time usage only alternative venue where lots of gigs happen, occasionally also noise. All gigs free of charge, no age limit. It is not absolutely close to central, but makes it really good. No bar, no "bar crowd", just people into gigs.

Augmented Atrocity did pretty much same set as he did in Helsinki week before. Both good shows, but obscure venue has its advantages. Even if the new Helsinki place that was used is very good, there is simply atmosphere of place that is like ruins of the civilization! I suppose you can call Augmented Atrocity power electronics, but just like Kovana was (his former band), there is some odd sounds, noise, experimental shaker sounds, and things that blend it with... noise. Sure there are loops, structures, vocals with lyrics, and it falls into category of contemporary power electronics, but not the kind of violent and vile thing. There was little cable problem with PA speaker at one point of set, but didn't really effect the gig itself. Good set!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-aeOH3-CaE

Ahola & Silander often praised for the gigs. Recordings I have, most of them. Always liked, but for some reason, never was at gigs until now. Gig was perhaps more of pure noise fun and physical energy, than display of their abilities known from recordings. Just pile of junk metal collected on stage, and two guys assaulting the junkpile with hammers and such. There was decent PA and they had mic'ed the stuff nicely, since everything was amplified. Despite you could hear also acoustic hammering, it was all coming through PA in same sound, just amplified and little by little more efx and echo applied and more nuance and detail into electronic side of performace. Great fun. Almost entire set here uploaded here, missing only couple seconds from beginning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYzP31AuhpA

I expected Hail Conjurer & Absolute Key to be a bit more "metal". Not that it would be any sort of traditional metal music, but I did expect there would have been something. I don't mean that as positive or negative remark, just my own impression what I thought there would be. Positive was, that there was actually no metal, hah! So it was industrial noise show. They had couple keyboards, but did not play anything easygoing, but noisy electronic sounds. There was also table full of noise gear. Perhaps 2/3 of the gig on clip linked below. There are few songs that had simple industrial beat going on, but as oppose there was songs of sheer noise and even leaning to power electronics. Seen Absolute Key doing solo noise, and I suppose his parts on this collab seems to be better than that first noise live was. Could be good to see more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npPY2k_MrJY
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

FreakAnimalFinland

E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

tiny_tove

Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on September 18, 2023, 10:45:03 PMTOWER TRANSMISSIONS IX
includes, text, pics, videos!

https://special-interests.net/main/tower-transmissions-ix-2023/

Impressive review of one of those shows I would have loved to attend if I was not earing impaired. So glad to see many friends still delivering the goods despite being over 50s...
can't wait to watch the video on line after work
CALIGULA031 - WERTHAM - FORESTA DI FERRO
instagram: @ANTICITIZEN
http://elettronicaradicale.bandcamp.com
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Heppakirjat

#282
Passed Futurist, Joshua Burkett and Juho Toivonen, 22.9.2023 @ Pethaus, Tampere

Went too see Juho Toivonen, who I saw a couple of weeks ago at the horrible barvenue mentioned earlier in this thread. Did not know the other artists.

Passed Futurist played a set of guitar through looper-delay and freejazzish drumming. The drummer was an animal, nice. The guitars were quite generic looperstuff with strummed chords. Towards the end the guitar went bit more crazy, but still quite the uninteresting thing.

Joshua Burkett played a really nice set of bluesy folk. At times even reminding me of Fahey. Open tunings, capo, arpeggios and somewhat mumbled vocals at parts. Bought album from him.

As mentioned I went here to see how Juho Toivonen sounds in a setting with proper aduience and venue. Like the gig some weeks ago Juho played computer with controller or mixer and a (delay?)pedal: Nature and traffic soundscapes overlaid with piano, bells and I think even a saxophone at points. Really nice short set. A world of difference to listen to this kind of set with people who shut the fuck up when artist plays vs. bar with rowdy children of the corn running and shouting past you every second. I second the thought that this kind of set (maybe even longer than 20 min) in a moody dark setting would be optimal.

FreakAnimalFinland

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Manhog_84

#284
17.-18.11.2023 Rituals Over Limburg

Great festival! As I was kind of expecting, the Finnish sound masters were the best acts of two nights. On Friday, Haare performed with two-men unit. Set was similar (or same?) as in Redi shopping center last Spring, but I think it worked even better now due to better venue. Steadily building psychedelic loops of ripping metal sounds created a hypnotic atmosphere that you could sink into. Simply put amazing. Arktau Eos was also perfectly crafted with their own kind of live show approach: theatrical gestures that borderline silliness, but done with such conviction it works. Long gig and sonically it was more mystical than dark. Halo Manash was the most anticipated act for me. I had seen them a long time ago in Helsinki, but it was sort of bar gig with people chattering over the music etc. and I didn't remember much of it. This time, everything hit the spot. I managed to get a stool for sitting and could just let myself sink in. There was something in the sounds that pulled you in. Slow moving, organic, minimalistic and also very dark. Horns, low frequenciens, some guttural chanting, heavy smell of incense. After the performance I felt absolutely exhilarated. Highlight for the two evenings for me! I'm considering now the January Oulu gig just to see them again.

As for the other acts, Sa Bruxa was a good one-man performance, without any robes or other props. I liked Shibalba as well, with many members on stage playing different instruments and it had the "live ritual" feel to it. Trepaneringsritualen was also a positive surprise. Last time I saw him in Mannheim and it was just a playback sounds and vocals. Now there was a live drummer that added a lot. Great vocal delivery and it was a good choice to end festival with the most aggressive act in contrast to others.

The average age of audience was closer to fifty and from what I gathered, the theme of the evening was people's back pains (including myself). "Of fuck I cannot stand any longer" haha.

Edit. Few words on the other bands as well: Anatta started very well, but there were couple of abrupt breaks and ending. It felt more like a compilation of songs without sense of proper flow. Still, good parts were very good. Grimoire De Occulte was unfortunately boring, sorry. There was potential still, but it didn't grab my attention. Human Larvae is a good performer, but it's not really my favorite style of pe/noise. Murderous Vision seemed to be an anticipated artist, but I didn't see it properly as I had to head back to accommodation. I liked the wall of low rumbles though and the new album on Dunkelheit is highly recommended! Best material I have heard from him.