Cemetry Tate

I have nothing to say about this review, I choose to observe a minute's silence to mourn the death of The Port Mahon.

GRAVEPAINTING/ ALEXANDER THOMAS/ EUHEDRAL/ DTV – Permanent Vacation, Port Mahon, 5/3/08

Tabletop improv often has the excitement of its vast range of sound options tempered by the inevitable gap between musical events that is dictated by the time taken to put one thing down and pick another up. Copious use of delay can mask this to a certain extent, but it still imposes a rhythm on the music that can result in predictability. DTV manages to avoid this pitfall, sampling himself bowing strings and bashing metal pipes to create a surprisingly dynamic soundscape that can rush from heavy static to something delicate that sounds like ivory raindrops falling into a tin bucket. This kind performance can be fascinating, but is rarely this exciting.

Euhedral isn’t in our dictionary, but logic dictates it should mean “having pleasing surfaces”. Pretty apt, when his miasma of reverbed voice, rubbed guitar strings and keyboard drones is agreeable, but doesn’t seem to boast much depth, in contrast with other Euhedral gigs we’ve witnessed. Euphonious but hardly euphoric. The final track shows what he can achieve, shoving sandpapery rasps about beneath a slow copter blade pulse to eerie effect.

Some people claim that making music from loop and effect pedals is too easy. Alexander Thomas counters this by only using theremin for his sound sources, which is one of the hardest instruments to play well (if a guitar with no frets sounds difficult, imagine one with no neck or strings either, and that’s how awkward a theremin is to control). Quickly bypassing the B Movie cliches of the instrument, Thomas builds up a sensual series of sonic constructions, that are alternately scouring and beautiful. Unbelievably his last number manages to somehow create crunchy beats from the theremin, and sounds like a lost Mu-Ziq classic. Plus he’s a dapper dresser; there’s too much scruffiness in alt music. All hail.

Gravepaintings have a tough act to follow, and initially their samples of choice – snake charmer reeds and tropical bird warbles – make them sound unpleasantly like a queasy update of World Trancers Loop Guru! Thankfully these elements soon get lost in a vast wave of trouser-flapping noise the likes of which we’re amazed the Port PA can handle. Physically powerful, then, but nothing here to stand out from other droneheads doing the rounds. Gravepaintings’ music may be about building to a climax, but they’re a bit of a squib at the end of a satisfying and eventful evening.