DFV #64: Matmos featuring Zeena Parkins
» Published by szola on Sep 25, 2006
The 24th of September saw a triple concert featuring Hild Sofie Tafjord, Zeena Parkins and the night’s headliners Matmos (together with Zeena Parkins) at Betong, Oslo.
Tafjord did not surprise the listeners, as her set was noisy as ever. Parkins half hour show consisted of a massive wall of sound being unleashed on the attentaive audience. Her electric harp was the cornerstone of her sound making, and though the massivity of the sound that she unleashed was periodically hypnotizing, this listener thought that her performance was marred by a lack of direction and development.
Matmos was the nights best gig, undoubtedly. The visuals were great, all throughthe concert, giving the beats and melodies a good supplement. Matmos professionality shone through, as they small talked to the captive audience, filled the gig with humor and passive participation. We were witness to lovely melodies played on a piano, a bouquet of roses being struck against a table, arabic flutes and fierce attack of djembe drums. The gig was a fun experience, and it revealed a duo (the duo was actually playing as a quartette this evening) who could shift musical styles and intensity whilst retaining a flair and live performance that is envible. One of the members of the band even shaved his head live and used the sound that the shaving machine made.
If you get a chance to see Matmos, based on their performance at Betong, soundscaping recommends you to check them out!
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