LIVE REVIEW : Duke of York Independant Cinema Brighton - Nov. 17th
OCEANO is a specially commissioned new work by Murcof (aka Fernando Corona) featuring viola, cello, trombone and electronics. The Contemporary Music Network of England commisioned the piece and live it features members of Barcelona`s celebrated instrumental group BCN216 and visual navigator Flicker. This show was part of a 9 date tour supported and managed by Qu Junktion. Tuba experimentalist and improvisation artist Oren Marshall opened the tour every night.
I first met Oren Marshall at a Slowfoot record label night at The Spitz venue in East London in 2007. He played an intense improvised scratched-groove set, which included a collaboration with an Uzbheki quartet, friends of Oren`s who happened to be in London that night. He also played with avant-garde improv-whatever-band; Snorkel. I was very taken by Oren`s phrasing, his layering of tuba sound and the trance-like state his improvising.It was an out of body hexperience. Privet and I interviewed Oren at our office a stones throw from this much anticipated performance at The Duke of York Cinema in Brighton on this night. We met Jem, the affable and bubbly tour manager from www.qujunktions.com, then grabbed two cheap seats just before the show started.
The venue is a plush-ish affair, old school cinema seats, drapes and independant ambience. Onstage a tuba, a chair and a small collection of guitar effects. Oren appeared out of the darkness, bowed and sat down by his tools. He paused just long enough to make the crowd`s appreciative sounds die right down, then launched into a series of short, sharp staccato phrases, glimpses and hints of the spectrum of sounds he makes with his tuba. Some are dark, others trippy and humourous. Oren builds a groove all of his own, working the room, the crowd, the PA, the feel of the place and himself. His full lung power is bought to bear as the piece builds....
Small sounds are sampled by Oren and shot back through the sound system. The bottom end volcanic power is swirling and rearing up through the latter part of the opening piece. It ends sharply. The full crowd meet the call of tuba-improv with their response of percussion and vocalisations signalling approval and respect. Oren has built up over many many years of playing, collaborating and teaching his own unique vocabulary of randomness, of improvised dabs, pushes, growls and cheek blowing beauty. It is not all bottom end my friend.
A longer piece features the build up of self-sampled layer upon layer of mid-range surges that just begin to peak at feedback, then teasingly relent. They retreat into the mix as the next layer coruscates and peels the art deco cinema`s paint. The sound is pushed; the feel, the now-ness of originality and the response to the mood of the venue, the crowd, the lighting is strongly felt in the vibe this all makes. The tension mounts, swelling with Oren`s embouchure-isms, spitting out shards of arc welded feedback, shapes are thrown and blended within cyclic rythmn. I feel that trance vibe wall of sound entering the venue. Getting straight to the guts of his stunning performance, Oren is working his tuba hard, flicking effects with calm focus. Dials are twisted and adjusted. Oren`s cheeks blow fury, neck muscles, mouth and lips strain to get to THE PLACE. This thrumming beast gets right there and explosively climaxes his set tonight. Inspirational.
Mexican electronica artist Murcof needs little introduction, and as he, BCN 216 members and Flicker appear out of the darkness a cheer rises up amongst the audience, as they acknowledge and anticipate this collaborative feast. The artists bow and take their places. Murcof looks around intently, with a slight frown upon his face as he removes his long black overcoat and settles behind his laptop screen. He blinks and nods towards BCN 216. Roderick Maclachlan (Flicker) creates images with light and bedrock physical substances such as organic matter, dust and water. He is driving this live experience equally with the other artists onstage tonight. Found and other sounds are beautifully summoned and cajoled from Murcof`s laptop. His eyes rarely stray far from the images projected onto the cinema screen. String and wind instruments slip into synch with laptop, I hear exquisite flurries, jabs and harmonics. The tension builds, the images spit and crackle. There is indeed an intensity to this piece of work tonight that I find rich, mesmeric, driving, as well as thickly dense and almost overwhelming. Depth-charge bass drops in the room out of the sound system, like the sound of a heavyweight boxer hitting the canvas, seismic ripples are felt. Instantly then lighter, skittering strings and trombone phrases in harmony run around like fleet footed veteran trainers, seconds and yes-men scalding & willing the fallen boxer with life & movement, will & strength. Flicker images act out the part of the match crowd; hustlers, sharks, regulars and crooks who boo, cheer, scream, insult and despair and so fill the air with a huge powerful surge.........
Murcof nods again, and electronica turns and moulds the mix into a deliciously carnal movement of sounds. Harrying and humming into a melted cool pool of deep blue. Heavy versus light. Immersion versus intonation. Stolen moments and immeasurably powerful affirming currents shoot through Oceana. The pervading mystery and darkness of the worlds water ponds and troughs fill up the room and threaten to crack the glass, escape and yearn for gravity to flow them everywhere. Murcof guides the power to a climax. The artists bow and return to the darkness. Superb.
Get Oren Marshall and find out about all his many many collaborations here
More info on Flicker (aka Roderick Maclachlan) here
BCN216 on this tour are Serrgi Claret (Viola), Juan Antoni Pich (Violncello) and Gerard Costes (Trombone). They can be found on recent collaborator Alva Noto`s website
Murcof got dotcom as well here. Oceano is set for a 2009 release.
Jem & Qu Junktion info here
Many thanks to Oren and Jem, Murcof, BCN 216 and Flicker.
Words and images by Paul Hawkins & Dug Degnin