Originally posted at mog.com/RobinPlaysChords:
Nestled in Coventry's forever-in-development Canal Basin lies Taylor Johns House, one of two venues run by local record company Tin Angel Records. It has shaken off the tag of 'failing business' with the relative success of a string of high quality releases (including two by the divine Devon Sproule) and an endless list of world class talent coming through the doors of the Tin Angel café and Taylor Johns itself. For a city which failed to produce a vibrant artistic scene for years (is The Enemy really the best the area can produce?), Tin Angel has given everyone the kick up the arse they needed, and now the city's arts scene is flourishing.
Danish noise-popsters - and owners of oddly endearing facial hair - Efterklang are the latest band to make the journey up to the West Midlands. Originally scheduled to be held at the Baptist Church, a stones throw from the Tin Angel café, a lack of space for the band's two sound systems and assorted gear means a last-minute change of venue to Taylor Johns. From a single look at the performance area, you'd struggle to figure out how two sets of drums, two guitar amps, various keyboards, violin, flute, trumpet, a computer and enough FX pedals to shake a stick at could fit onto a stage more suited to a small scale primary school nativity play. Somehow, every last bit of equipment, and the seven musicians behind fit, fit on with enough room to spare.
Opening the night's proceedings is the ludicrously talented Peter Broderick. The release of Float on Type was the beginning of Broderick's purple patch, and it doesn't seem to be ending any time soon. The set mostly consists of numbers from Home and a collection of new and/or unreleased songs which showcase his growing maturity as a songwriter. Standouts include a gorgeous rendition of 'Not At Home', and a brand new song about a fate-defining drive in the country - both bolstered by the beautiful back-up vocals of Peter's sister Heather (who has just released her debut solo album From The Ground on Australian wunder-label Preservation). The set closes with Home's closer 'Games Again', Broderick walking and singing in the crowd whilst the army of voices he already put to loops on stage overpower the senses.
I'm told that the venue needs £15,000 to cover the air conditioning unit, and the lack of it means that the heat in the venue is punishing. Efterklang alude to this light-heartedly through their set, which for the uninitiated is an experience best described as half-carnival, half-audio overdrive. Like Broderick - who along with Heather performs as part of Efterklang's live shows - there is a fairly liberal amount of new material spread around the set, and it all holds up beautifully with their older songs. Opener 'Step Aside' is a woozy mix of Telegram-era Björk and Dntel, and the many sugar-sweet harmonies (in the best possible way) of 'Mirador' sets up new song 'Mirror Mirror', both of which build into fabulous cocophonies, and sound like the songs that Sigur Rós were looking for when recording Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust.
To a room of around 100 (and two cameramen), Efterklang weave their magic and leave everyone spellbound, despite the stifling heat and the tight confines of the stage. (Frontman Casper Clausen comments halfway through that his earpiece fell into a pool of spilt beer - "I think the word is sticky.") 'Cutting Ice To Snow', one of Parades' best songs, starts off as a chorus of wintery vocal harmonies - Casper, Peter, Heather and guitarist Frederick Teige combining to glorious effect - before breaking through into a warmer, classical-meets-pop epic. The show ends with a stunning rendition of 'Chapter Six' from 2004's Tripper, Mads Brauer's sequencer kicks the song off with a rolling electronic beat which merges with percussion-heavy interludes and ends with a gentle audience singalong. Rapturous applauses ensues, and the merch stand is soon swamped with new devotees.
Talking to bassist Rasmus and Peter afterwards, it seems that Efterklang - and the Brodericks themselves - can only go onwards and upwards. The band have recently signed to 4AD for the release of their third studio album - expected to be released in early 2010 - and finish their contract with the Leaf Label with the issue of the live album/DVD Performing Parades (performed with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra) in October, around the time they play their biggest UK show to date at the Barbican in London (with the Britten Sinfonia). Broderick's own exploits include the recent release of 4-Track Songs on Type and a highly-anticipated collaboration with Machinefabriek. The future is bright for them, and also for Tin Angel, who have bought some much needed light into Coventry's scene.
-
Efterklang's Performing Parades is released on CD/DVD and LP/DVD on the 19th of October on The Leaf Label. Peter Broderick's 4-Track Songs is available now on CD, LP, and digital formats from Type.
Nestled in Coventry's forever-in-development Canal Basin lies Taylor Johns House, one of two venues run by local record company Tin Angel Records. It has shaken off the tag of 'failing business' with the relative success of a string of high quality releases (including two by the divine Devon Sproule) and an endless list of world class talent coming through the doors of the Tin Angel café and Taylor Johns itself. For a city which failed to produce a vibrant artistic scene for years (is The Enemy really the best the area can produce?), Tin Angel has given everyone the kick up the arse they needed, and now the city's arts scene is flourishing.
Danish noise-popsters - and owners of oddly endearing facial hair - Efterklang are the latest band to make the journey up to the West Midlands. Originally scheduled to be held at the Baptist Church, a stones throw from the Tin Angel café, a lack of space for the band's two sound systems and assorted gear means a last-minute change of venue to Taylor Johns. From a single look at the performance area, you'd struggle to figure out how two sets of drums, two guitar amps, various keyboards, violin, flute, trumpet, a computer and enough FX pedals to shake a stick at could fit onto a stage more suited to a small scale primary school nativity play. Somehow, every last bit of equipment, and the seven musicians behind fit, fit on with enough room to spare.
Opening the night's proceedings is the ludicrously talented Peter Broderick. The release of Float on Type was the beginning of Broderick's purple patch, and it doesn't seem to be ending any time soon. The set mostly consists of numbers from Home and a collection of new and/or unreleased songs which showcase his growing maturity as a songwriter. Standouts include a gorgeous rendition of 'Not At Home', and a brand new song about a fate-defining drive in the country - both bolstered by the beautiful back-up vocals of Peter's sister Heather (who has just released her debut solo album From The Ground on Australian wunder-label Preservation). The set closes with Home's closer 'Games Again', Broderick walking and singing in the crowd whilst the army of voices he already put to loops on stage overpower the senses.
I'm told that the venue needs £15,000 to cover the air conditioning unit, and the lack of it means that the heat in the venue is punishing. Efterklang alude to this light-heartedly through their set, which for the uninitiated is an experience best described as half-carnival, half-audio overdrive. Like Broderick - who along with Heather performs as part of Efterklang's live shows - there is a fairly liberal amount of new material spread around the set, and it all holds up beautifully with their older songs. Opener 'Step Aside' is a woozy mix of Telegram-era Björk and Dntel, and the many sugar-sweet harmonies (in the best possible way) of 'Mirador' sets up new song 'Mirror Mirror', both of which build into fabulous cocophonies, and sound like the songs that Sigur Rós were looking for when recording Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust.
To a room of around 100 (and two cameramen), Efterklang weave their magic and leave everyone spellbound, despite the stifling heat and the tight confines of the stage. (Frontman Casper Clausen comments halfway through that his earpiece fell into a pool of spilt beer - "I think the word is sticky.") 'Cutting Ice To Snow', one of Parades' best songs, starts off as a chorus of wintery vocal harmonies - Casper, Peter, Heather and guitarist Frederick Teige combining to glorious effect - before breaking through into a warmer, classical-meets-pop epic. The show ends with a stunning rendition of 'Chapter Six' from 2004's Tripper, Mads Brauer's sequencer kicks the song off with a rolling electronic beat which merges with percussion-heavy interludes and ends with a gentle audience singalong. Rapturous applauses ensues, and the merch stand is soon swamped with new devotees.
Talking to bassist Rasmus and Peter afterwards, it seems that Efterklang - and the Brodericks themselves - can only go onwards and upwards. The band have recently signed to 4AD for the release of their third studio album - expected to be released in early 2010 - and finish their contract with the Leaf Label with the issue of the live album/DVD Performing Parades (performed with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra) in October, around the time they play their biggest UK show to date at the Barbican in London (with the Britten Sinfonia). Broderick's own exploits include the recent release of 4-Track Songs on Type and a highly-anticipated collaboration with Machinefabriek. The future is bright for them, and also for Tin Angel, who have bought some much needed light into Coventry's scene.
-
Efterklang's Performing Parades is released on CD/DVD and LP/DVD on the 19th of October on The Leaf Label. Peter Broderick's 4-Track Songs is available now on CD, LP, and digital formats from Type.
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