Loading

Lau

Venue: Blackheath Halls
Town: London
Date: 16/11/13
Website: http://www.lau-music.co.uk/

Haiku Salut opened the night with their unique brand of "electronic baroque folk". Unaware of the fact that there was a support act, a few of us could not help but wonder, (when three women walked on stage) had Lau changed their look?? They haven't if you're wondering.

The set they played was very interesting and utilised piano accordions, keyboards, ukuleles, nylon strung guitars, a kick drum, floor tom and snare drum as well as looping pedals, a laptop and a launch pad. The music played was like nothing I've ever heard before and I'm finding it hard to find words to describe it. The band play folk music but where others have taken influences from other traditions from the globe, these musicians have drawn upon the Baroque tradition, Minimalism, ambient electronic music and to some extent 20th century classical music. I can't say that I fully understood it or got the point of it however that is not to say that there isn't a point to this music. In fact I'm certain there is something to be expressed from it, however the music that they created is so far from what I perceive to be "Conventional Folk Music", that I'll have to go back and listen to them several times before I fully understand it. If I had to describe it using pre-existing terms it would be that if Steve Reich and Arnold Schoenberg had a love child and that child became very interested in the folk music of the UK, it would sound like the music that child made. And that's probably not a very good way of describing them. All the same, it was a very short but enjoyable set. A great listen for anyone who is interested in completely original and wacky music that's trying to broaden the definition of Folk music.

After the interval, the main act came on to play a rather lengthy set. This included material from the last two albums, (Arc Light and Race the Looser), and some revamped tunes from albums previous to the last two and various eps. This half of the evening was, predictably, unbelievably good. The band seem to posses the ability to bring an audience to the boiling point and tip them over the edge so that they cheer and scream, and on the other hand they can play them into a state of calm and introspection, both with great ease.

One thing that I've noticed with Lau over the years is how their use of technology has evolved. The first time I saw them, very few effects were used and only a modicum of looping. This gig in Blackheath Halls was very different. Aidan O'Rouke, (fiddle) upped the amount of looping significantly to great effect. His use of effects was absolutely stunning, especially in the Burrian when he used reverse delay and an octave effect. The same applies to Kris Drever, (guitar and vocals). His looping and solo in Horizontigo were cracking and the overdrive used in the climactic crescendo in Torsa was the highlight of the tune. However, it has to be said, the person who had the most technological prowess on the stage was Martin Green on Accordion, (mostly). From where I was sitting his pedalboard looked absolutely gigantic!! However, most of it seemed to be looping and routing. He also would frequently physically hit the accordion to make percussive sounds in loops, songs and tunes. Two objects joined Martin on the stage. The first was a Wurlizer Electric Piano, which in certain tunes was used as a light sprinkling of harmony below or above the main melody and in others was used to fill out the bottom end of the sound using sustain. The second was some sort of launch pad or MIDI Controller. I couldn't quite tell. It seemed to trigger of some samples of remixes from Lau's latest album of remixed tunes as well as producing other sounds that I couldn't quite fathom. In the last set, the tail end of the song, Midnight Feat seemed to have been looped and then sent to the MIDI Controller. Green then messed about with it, (yes, I know my terminology is on point but this isn't my field of expertise) and then proceeded to set the scene for the next tune. In that time he played with a lot of metallic and twangy sounds that he later said was due to it being made of forks!!

This was a thoroughly amazing gig that I would easily pay to go and see again.

Matt Tighe
photocredit: Phil Carter, not taken at gig