Well, it seems that after a lengthy pauze my personal concert season has kicked off again. It started a few days earlier when newly formed trio performance of Synchyse debuted in a converted garage in The Netherlands, along with the jazzbient duo Minus Pilots (read). Well, actually it started with a fun gig by dub-reggae-house act Fat Freddy's Drop at Ancienne Belgique. But that one was just for fun, not for journalistic reasons.
Then this little thing at Antwerp Music City came up. Ashtoreth invited me and obviously, there was no reason not to go. First of all, it's always nice to see Ashtoreth and Stratosphere perform, both solo and as a cooperative drone-force. Second: I was quite curious about this new Thisquietarmy performance with full band. So off to the legendary AMC we went.
Then this little thing at Antwerp Music City came up. Ashtoreth invited me and obviously, there was no reason not to go. First of all, it's always nice to see Ashtoreth and Stratosphere perform, both solo and as a cooperative drone-force. Second: I was quite curious about this new Thisquietarmy performance with full band. So off to the legendary AMC we went.
Stratosphere
"Sorry, Serge, you're going to hear the same two songs again", Ronald apologized beforehand. And so it was. Stratosphere played 'Desolation' and 'Lesum', which both appear on the splendid 'Collaborations I' album, be it a tiny bit different. That being said, while 'Desolation' showed the classic atmosphere sound, 'Lesum' was almost unrecognizable. After all, music like this is always subject to variation, which is perhaps the exact reason why ambient music is so interesting. Halfway through the track, it was as if Liz Fraser's voice chanted in the background. That was neat, a great example of what you can do with a truckload of effect pedals. In the end, this was pretty much a classic and thus highly enjoyable Stratosphere gig.
After 'Lesum', Ashtoreth took his place behind his pedal-rack and the two artists showed their improvisation skills. It slowly became darker in the Music City, aided by the pulsating drones and the shamanic chants. Now the smell of incense filled the air while we entered the mysterious sonic world of Ashtoreth. Together, they played an excellent variation on 'Breaking down Barriers / Reveiling the Unknown', also from 'Collaborations I'.
Ashtoreth
| And so we traveled from the dreamy light of Stratosphere to the occult and mystifying darkness of Ashtoreth. Somehow this combination always works. Once Ronald had left the scene, Peter unleashed the chants and the distorted guitar drones. The sound became harsher, more intense and the audience seemed to love it. So did I, but that's not much of a surprise, I guess. Within a few minutes, Antwerp Music City was bathing in these drones and soundscapes, almost levitating perhaps, and then, suddenly, it was over when Ashtoreth swtiched the music off. 'Woos' and 'Yeahs' and applause now filled the air, with good reason too. This was awesome. |  |
Thisquietarmy
Along with Tomas Järmyr and Aidan Baker, Eric Quach must be one of the hardest working people in the music industry. For thirteen years he has been travelling the world, recording albums and cooperating with others. I see his photos on facebook. A concert here, a recording session with Hypnodrone Ensemble there, travelling the continents. And now, somehow, he managed to find three people who wanted embark on his newest sonic adventure: Thisquietarmy The Band.
Most people in the guitar-drone scene have their own, easily recognizable, sound. Dirk Serries, Aidan Baker, N, and even the two support acts this Tuesday have theirs. So does Thisquietarmy. Over the years I have seen him perform on multiple occasions. Sometimes he simply unleashed his droning demons while on other occasions he added elements from doom and black metal. Yet, it was always Thisquietarmy, spot on. On this Tuesday too, with three guys behind him, playing bass, guitars, drums, Ableton, trombone and trumpet. Yeppers, now dark jazz has been infiltrating the sound of the Canadian.
The result was one of the most explosive gigs I have ever seen this man perform. Eric delivered his well known soundscapes while the band pushed the whole thing forward with a frenzy of doom and sludge metal. Thisquietarmy has become Thisoverwhelmingstampede, a massive sludge doom beast that can put its foot next to acts like Yob, Ufomammut and AmenRa. This was impressive, loud, abrasive and immersive. If 'The Body And The Earth' is as intense as this live gig, it's definitely one for the ages.
The sonic eruption went on for about an hour. Eric and his squad nearly pulverized the Music City (but then again, that building has experienced a lot of musical demolition over the years). I'm not sure if this was the best Thisquietarmy so far. For that, the machine needs a bit more oil and a bit more gigs. Yet, given time this experiment has the potential to convincingly headline Desertfests, Dunk Festivals, Roadburns and whatnot. And so, I'd like to end this review with the most truthful reaction, coming from a member of the audience: "Fucking Hell!!!"
Serge
Most people in the guitar-drone scene have their own, easily recognizable, sound. Dirk Serries, Aidan Baker, N, and even the two support acts this Tuesday have theirs. So does Thisquietarmy. Over the years I have seen him perform on multiple occasions. Sometimes he simply unleashed his droning demons while on other occasions he added elements from doom and black metal. Yet, it was always Thisquietarmy, spot on. On this Tuesday too, with three guys behind him, playing bass, guitars, drums, Ableton, trombone and trumpet. Yeppers, now dark jazz has been infiltrating the sound of the Canadian.
The result was one of the most explosive gigs I have ever seen this man perform. Eric delivered his well known soundscapes while the band pushed the whole thing forward with a frenzy of doom and sludge metal. Thisquietarmy has become Thisoverwhelmingstampede, a massive sludge doom beast that can put its foot next to acts like Yob, Ufomammut and AmenRa. This was impressive, loud, abrasive and immersive. If 'The Body And The Earth' is as intense as this live gig, it's definitely one for the ages.
The sonic eruption went on for about an hour. Eric and his squad nearly pulverized the Music City (but then again, that building has experienced a lot of musical demolition over the years). I'm not sure if this was the best Thisquietarmy so far. For that, the machine needs a bit more oil and a bit more gigs. Yet, given time this experiment has the potential to convincingly headline Desertfests, Dunk Festivals, Roadburns and whatnot. And so, I'd like to end this review with the most truthful reaction, coming from a member of the audience: "Fucking Hell!!!"
Serge
