Nothing To See Here But Lots To Hear; Aural Pleasures From Tim Hecker
Published
Although no stranger to Camp and Furnace, this was my first time in the Blade Factory. The intimate, space is used for diverse performances, screenings, DJ sets and fashion shows. In reality it’s an urban concrete container with army camouflage nets adorning the ceiling. As such it seemed entirely appropriate for tonight’s sonic experience from Canadian sound artist Tim Hecker.
First up we caught the dying moments of Forest Swords bassist, James Binary’s dissonant set which gave us flavour of the dark space we would inhabit tonight.
The second support came in the shape of fellow Canadian Jonathan Kawchuk and his dueling partner who contested each other’s deck moves as if they were playing pinball. The duo facing off against each other, not unlike Fuck Buttons, added a visual spectacle to the performance. The resulting soundscape saw gentle found sounds give way to ear splitting crackles. If you closed your eyes, like the majority of the intent audience, you could just make out; kids learning to play piano, a fridge humming, laughter and city chat, extreme weather and the fallout from a plane crash. He is a wildlife recordist and field recordings of wildlife were sampled in the performance.
We heard sporadic popping like the amp would explode at any minute. I wasn’t sure if this was a conscious decision or a technical aberration. Acoustic strums were overtaken by one solo string building to crescendo. With the darkness, the jungle nets and the vocals the effect was like being on some sonic assault course. The vibrations resonated across the room making their way through my feet. It all came to halt with a tribal finale; a comparator for this experience would be the Cinematic orchestra meets Test Department. Ben Frost could also be an influence as evidenced by the use of de-tuned piano samples.
After the obligatory break the main artist arrived on stage without finale. I’m a newcomer to the enveloping electronica of this influential artist so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as far as live performance was concerned. After a somewhat nondescript start it became immediately clear that it was all about the sound as unlike Kawchuck he chose to omit any visuals. Hecker remained static almost entirely in the dark, concentrating entirely on his laptop.
This international producer is also a lecturer in sound culture so he clearly knows his stuff. Notable excursions in sound include his early techno work (as Jetone), through to collaborations with Ben Frost on last year’s ‘Instrumental Tourist’ with Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never). He has also remixed Mogwai and toured with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Rós.
The set comprised favourite sounds from the more widely known albums ‘Ravedeath, 1972,’ (2011) and ‘Virgins’ (2013) although not lifted in their entirely. The album ‘Virgins’ incorporated ensembles of live performance which is perhaps why it works so well here. ‘Prisms’ was a prominent inclusion. He performed sections from ‘In the Fog. I. II. III’ as featured on ‘Ravedeath 1972.’
This repetition was greeted with nodding appreciation. With only blackness punctuated by occasional whiffs of dry ice to accompany all three movements you were left engulfed in a resonant ocean. This also proved to be an apt song title as I struggled to find my way back from the toilets wishing I had brought a torch!
The sound throughout the set was immaculate. Hecker used a palette of samples from a range of instruments, sonorously interweaving organic found sounds. One moment you’d be subject to hazy womb-like hums, next aquatic jingles and then combatant bell ringing. The music became like a machete cutting sharply in swathes then bouncing around the room. Drumsticks splintered. The bass throbbed through the whole space, spiraling, looping and spitting. These well mastered sound collages were an acquired but welcome taste.
This artist’s true skill is in delivering aural pleasures. He is a master at patiently layering sounds and understanding the depth and effect of it on a trance like crowd. The whole experience made you feel like you’d lost one sense and the others had been heightened. The sound geeks reaction to this other worldly experience was thorough satisfaction like they had just sampled a fine rare vintage wine.
And then he was gone – no encore – no fuss. It was all about the music, nothing to see here but lots to hear.
http://www.sunblind.net Words by Mandy Williams
