Zaklete Rewiry, Wroclaw, Poland26th October 2022
Perturbator, Health and Author&Punisher
Wroclaw is one of those happy places on the map where world-class stars come to delight us and make us enchanted with the amazing energy of their music. Both PERTURBATOR, sometimes called “the prince of darkness”, and AUTHOR&PUNISHER visited my beautiful city once again and served such a number of excellent sounds that some people had their ears and muscles healed for a few days after the concert.
For the first time, however, we had the opportunity to see the project HEALTH live. The masters of Noise / Rock Industrial from Los Angeles played a fantastic concert in Zaklęte Rewiry, and I must say that even though it was my first contact with their music, I was bought by it on the spot. All the concerts have accumulated so much energy and musical ass-kicking that it will suffice for the time being. Zaklete Rewiry, the venue that hosted the concerts numerous times now, was packed to its capacity - best proof some artists will attract large audiences regardless of inflation, depression, and October rust.
Author&Punisher
AUTHOR&PUNISHER opened the concert night. The project, that was formed in 2004 in San Diego by Tristan Shone, is a powerful instrumental machinery that Shone himself calls “Drone Machines” and “Dub Machines”. The instruments were designed by the artist himself - while he was studying at the University of California, Shone began designing sound machines of his own invention, noisy creations resembling factory equipment inspired by industrial automatism and robotics. When creating new devices and projects, he used his experience and combined aspects of industrial automation and robotics with elements of completely different optics.
The music created by A&P is sonically powerful machinery, stylistically combining elements of Doom Metal, Industrial, and Noise and occasionally supported by hoarse, processed vocals. The concert was both a feast for fans of the machines, flogging music, and brutal sonic hits - the performance itself is reduced to a minimum, and the central role was played by sound. The meaning of life (or the lack of it) given by self-made machines - a knockout!
Setlist
01. Drone Carrying Dread
02. Incinerator
03. Glory Box (Portishead cover)
04. Maiden Star
05. Misery
06. Nihil Strength
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 9 / 10
Health
HEALTH is a band from Los Angeles formed by Jacob Duzsik (vocals, guitar), John Famiglietti (bass), and Benjamin Miller (drums). They became famous in 2007 with the remix of CRYSTAL CASTLEs ‘Crimewave’. Since then, they have released four studio albums and four remix albums, which permanently secured them a high position in the noise rock scene. Their remix of ‘Blue Monday’ also appeared on the soundtrack of the movie ‘Atomic Blonde’. HEALTH’s work is compared, among others, to NINE INCH NAILS and MINISTRY.
Music & Performance
HEALTH concert in Wroclaw stood for a fantastic combination of delicate, hypnotizing vocals and pounding, uplifting, energizing music. Masterly combining sharper industrial, noise sounds with the delicacy of smooth, melodic passages the artists achieved a fine effect of sonic diversity and the catchy, dancy quality of the presented songs. Contrast, the perfection of performance and musical dynamics were a real mastery, and I let them completely captivate me. A separate show was the performance of John Famiglietti, whose crazy dance on the keyboards and bass will probably remain one of the urban legends in Wroclaw.
Incredible, inspiring energy of the concert, balancing on the verge of hypnotizing and hitting with sound, diversifying tones and music moods - a vibrant and fantastic show.
Setlist
01. IDENTITY
02. GOD BOTHERER
03. Zoothorns
04. PSYCHONAUT
05. Stonefist
06. THE MESSAGE
07. Victim
08. Men Today
09. Hateful
10. STRANGE DAYS (1999)
11. Die Slow
12. Tears
13. Salvia
14. FEEL NOTHING
15. We Are Water
16. Crusher
17. EXCESS (with Perturbator)
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 9 / 10
Perturbator
PERTURBATOR is the French Synth Wave project by James Kent. Kent has a background as a guitarist in several black metal bands. Since 2012, he has produced electronic music inspired by cyberpunk culture and from movies such as ‘Akira’, ‘Ghost in the Shell’, and ‘The Running Man’. He uses a variety of software synths in his productions, such as the emulators of old vintage synths like the OB-X or the CS-80. PERTURBATOR’s music eludes standard classifications. On the one hand, it is a musical impression of the highest class one would associate with electronics instantly. Still, his work also touches various musical sources: dark electronics, aggression, and intense emotions, but it is also catchy enough to make you dance. The crossover of retro arrangements, EDM, Industrial, Synth-Wave, and Dark Synth, you name it, gives an electrifying effect.
Music & Performance
The visual setting of PERTURBATOR’s concerts is very characteristic - we see a peculiar altar in front of us, covered with equipment placed on platforms, with a luminous star in the background. The musicians perform hidden behind all this machinery, bathed in (relatively) dim light. Visually, the effect is impressive. And the music - it runs faster and slower; it ignites and invigorates even the most tired brain and bodies. Electronics, by its very nature, is a genre that stimulates the imagination, if spiced up in a sharper and more dynamic way like Kent’s - is absolutely overwhelming. A brilliant concert, a true sonic roller, thank you!
Setlist
01. Excess
02. Lustful Sacraments
03. Neo Tokyo
04. Future Club
05. Death of the Soul
06. The Other Place
07. She Moves Like A Knife
08. Diabolus Ex Machina
09. Weapons for Children (Only outro parts)
10. Humans Are Such Easy Prey
11. Messalina, Messalina
12. Dethroned Under a Funeral Haze
13. Tactical Precision Disarray
14. Tainted Empire
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Light: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 9 / 10
All pictures by Karo Kratochwil
Comments powered by CComment