Sunday 13 October 2013

techofolkconnectingthepasttothefuturefromnow

one of the tightest, most professional faster than sound events so far – a game of two parts with the seemingly very 'famous' working together and the ‘young ones’ going all experimental and off-piste. The focus of the evening and their residency was rethinking/reimagining the Britten folk songs. http://www.fasterthansound.com/  I have always felt that he had hijacked and in some way ‘un-folked’ them. The discussion held before the event and chaired by Jonathan Reekie was an affirmation that the folk songs are not overtly loved by all. For me the evening re-established and re-contextualised them within a folk tradition, even or specifically that there was a large electronic presence - techno-folk.  Highlights were a drumming duel/duet with South London Ordinance, Alex Thomas and Sam Wilson – a reinterpretation of Widow.  Although less dangerously experimental and closer to the original, Alexis Taylor and Green Gartside gave a very intimate performance although quite mournful it was as if they were in your living room – quite beautiful, Lemady was truly sublime? Listening to Green Gartsides voice took me straight back to 1983 and got me thinking how Scritti-Politti was a folk band for the 80s.

Meanwhile – some film recommendations – for a brainlessly stupid film experience I recommend a double bill of Pacific Rim http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/  (large robots crashing with larger monsters – the script not troubling a sheet of A4 paper and white house down http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334879/ (just unnecessary but it will be all okay).