Welcome to the ether. That's what the electronic artists that came to Brighton Music Hall last week said to the masses that followed. What was offered to them was a unique and pure blend of self-identity and soul-baring. All brought something to the table that the others did not and what it led to was a truly extraordinary show that had all the bells and whistles you would normally find at an EDM show but equating to a much less testosterone-fueled ravefest than you would normally expect.
Rival Consoles, the pseudonym of one Ryan Lee West of London, UK, started the night off with his own blend of sonic experiments. Like his peers to follow, they had their own individual character with a focus on weaving bass lines of varying intensity to play with the senses of his listeners. And while there were definitely some picking up those beats and headbobbing, it was clear that Ryan was in the proverbial zone. His obsessions with his own work was clear as the artist danced to his own tune. The crowd got more into it as he got deeper into his set and the sounds got more dynamic, but, in his desire to craft an organically layered composition, he traps his audience in what feels like a carved out hollow tree. While some might wonder at the specific craftsmanship of the carvings, others might feel trapped.
The second artist of the night, Clark, felt of an entirely different nature altogether. Where Rival Consoles was subdued and natural, Clark felt much more vibrant and alive. If you weren't drawn in by the visual accompaniment on the screen behind him, you would be drawn in by the tangible but definitively artificial dance grooves that Clark pressed onto his audience. While this led to a bit of a dependency on more EDM staples like heavy bass and sampling, that didn't take away too much from Clark imposing his will and identity on everything that exuded from the stage. While he wasn't particularly charismatic, this UK producer let his music do the talking for him.
Nosaj Thing wrapped up the night with a blend of sounds that seemed to draw from what came before him. Balance was the name of the game as Nosaj Thing effortlessly drew attention from the room. But where Clark might have seemed steeped in what seems to be considered standard quirks from the current EDM scene, Nosaj Thing took more subtle cues from R&B and other off-the-kilter passages to create something that could only be called his. Coupled with an equally impressive visual backdrop, the producer and his mixes seemed to blend right into the stunning patterns. And yet, it left a much deeper impression on the mind than the other two artists that played that night.
More photos on the next page.
Rival Consoles
Clark
Nosaj Thing
