SÄHKÖINEN MATINEA 523.4.2023 - Tampere, Finland
Video report with 2 mins each artists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkhJkQUZ-9IPain Appendix tour going on. After friday private show in helsinki, he went to Obscurex fest for saturday and then returned back to Finland for sunday late afternoon electronic matinee. For those who wanted to see some experimental stuff in Finland, had opportunity to check Metsäkirkko show in Saturday at Kouvola. Horns and loops and weird atmospheric soundscapes played in front of psychedelic video displayed on big screen (video here:
https://youtu.be/OaG2bSN9BW4 ).
Sähköinen Matinea is organized at neat gallery space. Bright daylight, late afternoon, starting at 17:00. Obscure paintings and other art on the walls, little shop area selling mostly indie vinyl records and other things. I grabbed one pornographic art zine from there. Arrived at half past three, and there was opportunity enjoy the sunny afternoon, drinking some beer in front of venue chatting with friends, some that haven't seen in recent times. Bands setting up, soundchecks, merch table set with some stuff. There is fairly decent crowd for sunday show, yet of course venue doesn't get heavily crowded.
Absolute Key announces at the beginning of gig, that he has never done stuff like he is about to do. Yep. That doesn't mean there would be something absolutely new, though! Some Finnish master-class noise makers have often joked how the Finn noise starter pack is basically:
Bucket, filled with some metal junk and glass, and then guy smashing microphone into that bucket. That has been seen so many times. Variations includes glass, metal objects, chain, etc sometimes mask, sometimes not. This time, no mask. Glass was not lightbulbs like I recall one recent bucket gig having, but Absolute Key variation included drinking wine from classy wine glasses and then smashing them into bucket and hammering some harsh noise out of it. So, slightly spiced variation of old finn noise standard. Works ok, kind of one idea show as well as sound, but for what it is, it works. Absolute Key has huge variety in what he does, with 3 other harsh noise bands, perhaps his more experimental work could have been more striking? I'll be curious to hear if he decides to make a releases of pure harsh noise, what that will turn out to be.
Like mentioned on post above, I missed the
Atrophist show in Helsinki. Now I made sure to watch it from beginning to end. 15 minute blast of noise had very good moments, and then some searching of sounds. Like from video documentation you can see, the shift from harsher electronic assault, he would sometimes leap into ultra-sonic high pitched electronics and the harsh stuff creeping quietly underneath it. Then get back to blasting. Video catches one of those transitions, but after that moment, it quickly got louder. Artist mentioned Helsinki show was better than this. He had weird candle performance incorporated with sound. Due playing in daylight, it wasn't that striking element, but the ending "pyro technics" was funny, almost as if set was timed for it? Atrophist has been developing nicely and his recent tapes are good to get.
I asked
Savage Gospel what the show is going to be, and it was "one idea harsh noise" -type thing. Both guys blasting harshness from item/set up what they had, for 10 minutes, and that's that. Unlike the others, SG played mostly with amps. So, turning amps loud, and slightly psychedelic feedback howl accompanied the incapitantsy' harsh due blast. Lacking the spastic fast modulation that the Japanese masters have, replacing that with kind of Americanoise vibes but without the 90's crunch. Good stuff. I think they aimed for 15 mins, but it really was closer to 10, which felt perfectly enough, considering that what SG does, was certainly the "one idea noise set". There wasn't any beginning, no development and the end was just.. well, stopping to play. If one aims to do 20-30 mins set, it feels that there has to be a bit more. For 10-15, it works to do "one song". Their new split CD with Incapacitants is for me, easily the best thing what they have done.
Pain Appendix was obviously the last one. While his set was basically using similar ideas that he had in Helsinki, it became very clear how much sound system and atmosphere of venue changes it. Claustrophobic and dark feel of Helsinki, with tiny space filled with loud rumbling noise changed into light filled gallery feel, empty room space, crisp and clear PA sound. Not that much of physical action of kind of live frenzy he had in Helsinki. Not bad, though! This is not negative remark, as the counter balance really was both seeing his gear, seeing better what he was doing, hearing the clear from-mixer-to-soundboard -quality line sound from PA. It had the distortion, feedback, object carving with knife, rhythmic bounding of spring attached to his metal object... but sounding very different, due the atmosphere. Almost laid back, as opposed to violent or oppressive.
I liked the venue, I liked the early hours of playing. Although, must say that returning home almost midnight didn't feel like it was THAT early. I liked relatively short sets and meeting the old and new friends that haven't seen for long time. Like said on post above, now there are plenty of noise shows to happen in Finland. Keeping eye on SI gig announcements can be worth it! I also like that there are shows with currently active noise, and no need to even book some "cult headline artists". Like there was announced that save the date, huge noise gig about to come in tampere 26.8.2023. I instantly wondered.. pain jerk? masonna? Altar of flies? What would be the
big noise gig?!?! And turns out it is actually 5 new finn noise acts: Amek-Maj, Corral Shut, Haudat, Tyhjä Pää, Residual. And further more, in small venue with capacity of less than 50 people.. so I guess people better get in touch with organizer for some details if they want to get in! At least for one artist, it will be the debut live.
