womb at electronic organica review

Woah there. Stop reading this shit. Go listen to the set here and dance. Then go make your own music. Then come back and read. If you want.

Oh! Oh yes! Womb!

Didn't I say? Last time I reviewed them in a couple of sentences. And I said 'they always come back strong'.

So, it was Friday. It was Electronic Organica. Herve Perez, the Electronic Organica Ensemble, and Womb.

Something I hadn't thought of until partway through Herve Perez' set was that I don't experience live music in the same way I did. Up to a little over a year ago it was basically a passive, cerebral activity.

Now it's much more physical. Actually a lot sexier and a lot more fun. Quoting myself again, where once I would have been standing around the back now I'm the irritating twat up the front.

That kind of thing isn't really possible at sound art events - or at venues as narrow and restricted as the Briton's Protection.

So as much as I enjoyed aspects of what Herve Perez, and the Electronic Organica Ensemble did I found myself kind of uncomfortable. I found I was thinking about the music in a way that almost seemed to be reaching for justifications.

Worse I kept wanting to move where there was no beat to find - and when there was - when Womb came on - there wasn't much room to dance. Oh fuck it - that's an excuse. I was self-conscious - that's all. It would've been great to try and get the place moving.

So, Herve. There were things I liked. I really love field recordings - especially unprocessed sounds. Here even if they weren't processed they were gradually intertwined with laptop generated sounds.

I think it's this element of control - of accident and chance being tamed and turned into another texture that often gives me trouble. I don't want accident and chance, mistakes and fuckups smoothed out. There were some fascinating sounds, I just found my attention wandering.

I was able to get behind what the Electronic Organica Ensmble were doing a lot more easily. There were some harsher sounds, clearer rhythms, and at times a lot more happening.

Oh, oh, oh, wait, wait. Wait a minute. Herve. Towards the end he was doing a quiet bit and someone had to go out with a coughing fit. Which was kind of funny in itself. Not to disrespect Herve - just because it's funny. And then with brilliant timing someone farted - which almost made everyone sat near me burst out laughing.

In a way I kind of wish we'd all just let it happen - genuine laughter's a beautiful thing. Whether Herve would have seen it that way I can't say - I don't think I would have minded though.

Right, yeah. Electronic Organica Ensemble. I came and went with the sound. Sometimes it got a little abstract and overlong for me. At other times I wanted them to turn up the volume and explore an idea a bit more. That'd be those harsher sounds and clearer rhythms.

Then it was Womb. The most striking thing for me was how good it felt. The whole gig made me happy, made me smile, at the end and afterwards made me laugh spontaneously. The band seemed to be having a great time.

They were playing acoustically with a range of soundmakers. From the relatively conventional - drums, trumpet and singing bowls, through to the less conventional - a large thick piece of plaster, chains, saucepan and electric shaver, plastic egg box on singing bowl and so on.

Partway through they also started using the Hammond-like Yamaha organ on the stage and got some fantastic sounds from it.

They started out with relatively quiet beats and some interesting small sounds before building up the percussion and introducing the trumpet.

Actually you can listen to it here - http://soundcloud.com/womb-massi/womb-gig-at-britons-protection

Voice and some of those unconventional sounds came and went. The Yamaha started up. Quietly and sparsely at first, then more rhythmically, and eventually a bass chord held while other notes were pounded.

It's interesting a lot of the sound from the organ isn't that audible on the recording unless the other instruments drop down - or on the occasions it stops. It was much more noticeable on the night.

The beats got faster and the sound thickened, then dropped off and started up again. And ebbed and flowed for the whole set.

The whole thing only lasted about 20 minutes - but what an amazing 20 minutes. Easily one of my favourite sets so far. Listen to it now if you haven't yet.

The end was great. After building to a crescendo with trumpet, percussion, keyboard and voices the band tailed off to a few stray beats and held notes on the keyboard before stopping in laughter. As I say, it was an amazingly happy experience.

When you play it again I recommend turning the volume right up and dancing.