Column: TidBits
| Date Published: Tuesday, 26 February 13
| Author: Greta Kite-Gilmour
| 2 months, 3 weeks ago
In May 2012, the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Artistic Director Richard Tognetti took a crew of surfers, musicians and filmmakers to the rugged surf coast and desert landscape of northern Western Australia to create a new performance piece. His aim: to explore different musical realms at the intersection of music and nature. Over two weeks, Tognetti and this remarkable collection of artists spent their time surfing, making music and filming around the remote Ningaloo Reef. Hundreds of hours of footage were compressed into one ‘mythic day’. The result is The Reef, which combines a mesmerising mix of classics and new music with original film footage projected behind the musicians’ live performance. 8pm. Tickets $45-$102 + bf through:aco.com.au/whats_on/event_detail/thereef.
The debut album from Sudanese-American Amir Mohamed (aka Oddisee), People Hear What They See, is a culmination of the duality of his life experiences, from DC internal politics to third world struggles, the line between love and selfishness, and the personal conflict between self-sabotage and progress, set to a backdrop of intricate drums, lush instrumentation, and soul-stirring harmonies. Joining Oddisee on this tour is long-time collaborator Olivier Daysoul, who featured as a vocalist and guitarist throughout People Hear What They See and has collaborated with a stream of prolific artists, including Hudson Mohawke, Onra, Dam-Funk and Mike Slott. 8pm. $20 + bf through Moshtix.
After playing a string of sold out shows in 2010, Swedish songwriter Kristian Matsson (aka The Tallest Man on Earth) is now making his first ever appearance in Canberra. The talented 29-year-old first made himself known back in 2006 after an incredibly successful tour of the USA with Bon Iver. He remained one of those ‘talked about’ artists who kept himself just a little under the radar, completely DIY, yet vigorously touring and building his loyal fan base. In 2010 he signed with US label Dead Oceans and has since released his sophomore album, The Wild Hunt, and a fantastic EP. (Check the review on the BMA website.) The Tallest Man is a genuinely magnetic presence on stage, even if he’s only 5’8”. 8pm. $45 + bf through Moshtix.
Canberra experimentalists Spartak have been going through a period of change since Nippon, a collection of live improvisations from a Japanese tour, was released in October 2011 on the New Weird Australia label. Since then, they have hunkered down in their studio, Brick Lane, and are set to debut the first fruits of their labour, Catch/Control, to their Canberra fan base. Supported by post-punkers A Drone Coda and beatsmith Deaf Cat, this single anticipates Shoeb Ahmad and Evan Dorrian's upcoming EP, Possessions, their first release with new member Matt Lustri, and displays their collective foray into rhythmic grooves and indie songcraft amongst the usual electronic manipulations and tension in their music. 8pm. $5 door.
After the successful launch of their debut album, New Common Sense, Takadimi return to the stage in 2013 with a string of dates taking them around Australia. With a world of styles at their disposal, inspired by the possibilities of a well integrated, multi-cultural society in Australia today, this world/contemporary instrumental quintet exerts a genuine obsession for the possibilities within genres and their indefinite boundaries. The group bring you into their worlds through inventive improvisations, exploring and fusing elements of jazz, folk, Irish, gypsy, Latin and Afro beats. Prepare to be transported into a magnificently eclectic musical realm. 7:30pm doors. $10 adults (students by donation).
From their base in Nashville, Tennessee, come indie folk rock duo Sound From Earth with their debut self-titled EP. Having played in Canberra last year alongside Microwave Jenny, the husband-wife duo are excited to hit The Front with their unique sound, which has been described as ‘organic folk rock with an undercurrent of punk, romance and ‘70s electronica’. The passionate environmentalists often travel to protest camps and perform in support of the cause, most recently lending their talents to ?ght against Coal Seam Gas in Australia. Their music will make you feel like you too are travelling; going somewhere, seeing new things and feeling old things differently. Supported by Maddy Hay. 7:30pm. $10 door.
