LIVE: The Soft Moon (w/ HIDE) – Scala, 28.11.18

Discomfort and insecurity found it’s niche on Scala’s stage on Wednesday night, as HIDE and The Soft Moon both flourished under the venue’s smoke and strobe lights. With a sound and a stage set-up reminiscent of the likes of Nine Inch Nails, The Cure & Fever Ray, both bands performed an intense and manic set, fueled by the attention of their captivated crowd.

Opening duo HIDE were a force to be reckoned with. Together, Seth Sher &
Heather Gabel create clear, vital, smothering waves of industrial electronic sound. Gabel’s warped but powerful vocals were accompanied by hair flicks and body spasms, which made for compelling viewing. She took barely a breath between songs, but the audience applauded anyway, as she stylishly staggered through the smoke and strobes with perilous purpose. Tracks like ‘Close Your Eyes’ – taken from HIDE’s debut album Castration Anxiety – echoed around the venue with angst-ridden intensity. Despite knowing only a handful of tracks, we were hooked from start to finish.

Headliner The Soft Moon (aka Luis Vasquez) delivered his most powerful set to date in the capital this year. His clear vocals, and the raw energy of his live band kept the set flowing seamlessly from track to track. Highlights included ‘Criminal’, the title track of his latest album, as well ‘Like A Father’ – the sound of which we can’t get out of our heads. Whilst his performance supporting My Bloody Valentine at Robert Smith’s Meltdown Festival earlier this year was compelling, The Soft Moon’s music is best appreciated in an intimate venue like Scala. The accompanying light show made it all the more fascinating; amidst flashes, spotlights, and strobes the crowd happily jumped around to ‘Burn’ and ‘Choke’, and Vasquez fed off their fire.

Despite the complex and often tortured nature of The Soft Moon’s songs, there was no self-flagellation in his delivery on stage. Vasquez performed tracks from his earlier records with the same energy as his latest work, and his confident, energetic performance removed the sense of insecurity that permeates his music. Whether he was face-to-face with his microphone, riffing on his guitar, or pounding the living hell out of a trash can – Vasquez looked entirely at home in his electronic world.

Together, HIDE and The Soft Moon gave primal, urgent, gripping sets on Wednesday night, and we’re eagerly anticipating their return to the UK in 2019.

Follow HIDE and The Soft Moon on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Marion Costentin

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: KÁRYNN – ‘Segment & The Line’

Atmospheric, ambient, and sharply produced: multidisciplinary artist, composer and vocalist KÁRYYN has shared her latest single ‘Segment & The Line’. The track is part of Quanta 11:11, a double-A-side release comprised of this single, and ‘Today, I Read Your Life Story 11:11’. KÁRYYN has also announced her signing to Mute, and that she’ll be releasing her debut album in 2019.

Fueled by grief, self-discovery, love, quantum physics, and the impact humans have on each other – KÁRYYN’s music spans a variety of themes and genres, making it all the more interesting. Speaking about the new track, she explains: “When this song came out of me, it came out in one go. Like a crow flying deep into the forest in order to bring out the jewels, I had to enter that darkness to discover the truth.” ‘Segment & The Line’ muses on impermanence and the reality of facing the consequences of our actions – something we can all relate to.

We’re looking forward to hearing more of KÁRYYN’s altruistic sounds. Listen to ‘Segment & The Line’ below and follow her on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Derek Hutchison

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Boy Harsher – ‘Face The Fire’

Hazy electronics and sultry vocals combine in hypnotic style on Boy Harsher‘s new single ‘Face The Fire’. The Massachusetts duo have shared the track alongside the announcement of their new album Careful – set for release on February 1st via their own imprint Nude Club Records – as well as US & European live dates.

Described as “a wild ride that celebrates feelings of abandon whilst mourning attachment and love” Boy Harsher’s Careful sounds like a heavy but heartfelt listen. If new track ‘Face the Fire’ is anything to go by, the band’s new record is going to be full of beats that ricochet around dark dance floors, or lonely bedroom walls.

The single’s accompanying visuals were created by band member Augustus Muller, and present “the trappings of classic Goth culture in a serious, yet irreverent way”. Together, Augustus and Jae Matthews have overcome many obstacles to maintain Boy Harsher’s cool sound, and ‘Face The Fire’ is another example of their ability to succeed even when the odds are stacked against them.

Watch the video for the new single below and follow Boy Harsher on Facebook for more updates.

Boy Harsher 2018 EU live dates (with Kontravoid except those marked #):
21/02 Hamburg, DE – Turmzimmer
22/02 Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg
23/02 St. Maló , FR – Route Du Rock #
24/02 Bristol, UK – Lanes
25/02 Leeds, UK – Wharf Chambers
26/02 Manchester, UK – Soup Kitchen
27/02 London, UK – Electrowerkz

Pre-order Boy Harsher’s upcoming album Careful here.

Photo Credit: Samantha Casolari

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: Zola Jesus – Omeara, London 05.11.18

Zola Jesus stunned her sold out crowd at Omeara on Tuesday night as she appeared shrouded in red, delivering her flawless operatic vocals. Her performance embodied the promise she made during second song ‘Soak’ – “You should know I would never let you down” – and her rendition of the track made our gothic hearts bleed.

She took to the stage after Ah! Kosmos, who performed a stunning one-woman-show in an equally stunning sequin blazer. The Istanbul-born artist gave a masterclass in how to perform electronic music solo, and was the perfect warm up for Zola Jesus’ eager crowd.

Whilst on stage, the Sacred Bones signee said she was “chuffed” to be in “Blighty” and was happy to talk between songs about TV show Nathan Barley and the shortcomings of British Airways (who had lost her guitarist’s luggage earlier that day). Her set was laced with penetrating vocals that rang out across her hypnotised audience, and included an emotive dedication to her Uncle who recently survived a suicide attempt.

The blend of industrial and classical elements in Zola Jesus’ music translated well live, and she was accompanied by a violinist and guitarist for the duration of her set. Her tortured but tentative lyrics on ‘Skin’ and ‘Exhumed’ as well as the hypnotic, off-kilter, bouncing synths on ‘Bound’ provided fans with an eclectic mix of old and new material, and an opportunity for the performer to remove her red cloak, and break the fourth wall towards the close of her set.

Her lyrical lamentations about disconnection are made all the more powerful by her altruistic voice. Recorded, her vocals are striking enough – but to hear them live is confirmation that Zola Jesus truly has a divine set of lungs. If you weren’t there to hear her at Omeara, you missed out on a mesmerising performance from this warped and wonderful artist. A definite live highlight of 2018.

Follow Zola Jesus on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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