håvard volden + toshimaru nakamura review
Wednesday saw a fairly brief but well-attended performance from Håvard Volden and Toshimaru Nakamura at Islington Mill in Salford. There were three relatively brief sets in all. The performances were varied and fascinating. Perhaps curiously my favourite part of the evening were the supporting duos before Håvard and Toshimaru played together. The supporting duos were Matt Wand with Toshimaru Nakamura followed by Lee Patterson with Håvard Volden, and had distinctly different characters.
Matt and Toshimaru generated abrasive and jagged sounds that were often extremely difficult to prise apart. Toshimaru plays using a no-input mixing board although I think there may have been post-mixing board manipulation of sounds. Matt had a table of assorted electronics. Some of the sounds he produced might have been generated by the equipment or might have been extremely short samples. Jointly Matt and Toshimaru generated a massive amount of sound from threatening bass though to piercing tones, from buzzes and hums through sawtooth noises to clicks.
Despite some of the sounds Matt produced sounding like short samples and despite the occasional tone that sounded fleetingly like an actual instrument on the whole the impression was of electronic noise. The duo sounded machine based, machine generated, as though the circuitry was being probed for points where it might fail. I regard this as a good thing - as I joked to someone recently, I can be a bit of a fundamentalist when I see acoustic instruments, plug it in, get some effects on it.
Lee and Håvard took a very different approach. I've previously described Lee as working with 'small sounds'. In their duo Håvard utilised what I can only describe as tiny sounds. He had a prepared guitar on a tabletop connected to contact mics, with springs, elastic bands and other bits and pieces. Using mainly an electric milk whisk with a piece of string or something similar on the end, and a couple of EBows he extracted faint gestures from the instrument. Generally drawing back from making a loud noise he also drew back from making musical sounds. It might almost have been any found object he was using.
Matt and Toshimaru generated abrasive and jagged sounds that were often extremely difficult to prise apart. Toshimaru plays using a no-input mixing board although I think there may have been post-mixing board manipulation of sounds. Matt had a table of assorted electronics. Some of the sounds he produced might have been generated by the equipment or might have been extremely short samples. Jointly Matt and Toshimaru generated a massive amount of sound from threatening bass though to piercing tones, from buzzes and hums through sawtooth noises to clicks.
Despite some of the sounds Matt produced sounding like short samples and despite the occasional tone that sounded fleetingly like an actual instrument on the whole the impression was of electronic noise. The duo sounded machine based, machine generated, as though the circuitry was being probed for points where it might fail. I regard this as a good thing - as I joked to someone recently, I can be a bit of a fundamentalist when I see acoustic instruments, plug it in, get some effects on it.
Lee and Håvard took a very different approach. I've previously described Lee as working with 'small sounds'. In their duo Håvard utilised what I can only describe as tiny sounds. He had a prepared guitar on a tabletop connected to contact mics, with springs, elastic bands and other bits and pieces. Using mainly an electric milk whisk with a piece of string or something similar on the end, and a couple of EBows he extracted faint gestures from the instrument. Generally drawing back from making a loud noise he also drew back from making musical sounds. It might almost have been any found object he was using.
In this context Lee's sound were almost loud in comparison, and it was up to him to provide a framework and a ground of sounds in which Håvard's quiet gestures could happen. This was also by far the most visual performance. With Matt and Toshimaru there was not much to see. With Håvard there was very little to hear so you had to watch what he was doing to help pick out the sounds. He also had mysterious bits of kit, for instance two thin boxes that he laid on the strings and I guess may have been electromagnets. With Lee of course there were the nuts burning, his blowing into a tube, and his kettle of water. The sound itself was fascinating, like something coming into being, but remaining tantalisingly formless.
Finally Håvard and Toshimaru played together. For me it was less compelling, but that could be my fault. They seemed to meet somewhere in the middle. Toshimaru was less harsh, and produced sounds that were much more drone like, even edging towards music. Håvard produced louder noises - for instance placing both EBows on the strings and allowing a reasonable volume to build up. Again the guitar began to sound more like a guitar and less like a non-musical sound-source.
Overall I really enjoyed myself. In fact this evening I finally got round to having a try at the no-input mixing board myself. Holy fuck, I love it! My neighbours may not be so happy, but if you're going to play the same whiny pop hits twenty times in a row on the weekends and early some mornings you get what you deserve. I'm definitely doing more of that shit.
No confirmation at present on Last FM, Islington Mill's calendar or Ben Gwilliam's site but Matt Wand mentioned that the next Salford Concerts Series event will be Tuesday 16 March with a Korean musician called Ryu. A little digging leads me to believe this must be Ryu Hankil who bends typewriters and clockwork, and is certainly playing Cafe Oto in London the following day. I think Stuart Calton is also set to perform at Islington Mill on 16 March presumably with his dictaphones and stuff. I'll get you more details when I have them.
No confirmation at present on Last FM, Islington Mill's calendar or Ben Gwilliam's site but Matt Wand mentioned that the next Salford Concerts Series event will be Tuesday 16 March with a Korean musician called Ryu. A little digging leads me to believe this must be Ryu Hankil who bends typewriters and clockwork, and is certainly playing Cafe Oto in London the following day. I think Stuart Calton is also set to perform at Islington Mill on 16 March presumably with his dictaphones and stuff. I'll get you more details when I have them.
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