Whilst I was pondering over the relationship between music and latest technology (Read the post here), wondering why we all yearn to be more than our natural abilities allow, why we want to be so more, so whole, so perfect, I ran into a performance by a drummer who played a dynamic and lyrical free jazz/noise improvisation in the most simple low-tech analogue setup, which made me want to cry, “You are already perfect!”
It was late November in Berlin and the streets were already long dark when I stepped into the broken down venue known as Loophole. Known to some as a ‘Noise’ venue, the club/bar is far from neglect despite it’s run down appearance, but rather embraced and celebrated as one of the underground gems of the city. Their policy for booking is acceptive and open to all forms of experimental expressions, and the tolerance to a certain loudness contributing to the natural reputation for Noise and the more extreme forms of Experimental music.
A familiar smile greeted me at the Kasse (entrance), it was Utku Tavil, a hardcore drummer and active organizer based in Berlin organizing multiple events under as Multiversal. He was one of the performers tonight which I had come to hear, along with Marcello Silvio Busato, another treasured drummer the experimental music capital of Berlin is blessed with since the early 2000s.
I paid Utku at the Kasse the small entrance fee they asked for, normally a 5 to 10 euro contribution for the music provided. The fee is not much considering the line-up, which went like this…
Starling Murmuration Nr. 27 // November 28th// at LoopholeBerlin
Anil Eraslan – Cello
Nils Erikson – Trumpet
Marcello S. Busato – Drums, Percussion
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Utku Tavil – Drums
Margaret Unknown – Guitar
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Francisco “Pacho” Davila – Reeds
Andrea Massaria – Guitar, Electronics
Marcello S. Busato – Drums, Percussion
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Emilio Berne’ – Prepared Drums
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Mat Pogo – Sofa music selector
The first act was about to start and Mat Pogo on the three seater sofa was playing some vinyl and CDs in a laid back manner. A release by experimental drummer Andi Stecher was on the decks. Coincidentally or incidentally Andi Stecher was playing a few blocks away at Arkaoda this night, and I was amused how easily the dots connect within the Berlin scene, as everyone plays with everyone and the scene is so mixed and vibrant.
The organizer announced the start of the first set and the guests were invited in to the back room of the venue, a room that could fit possibly 25 people, where all the concerts was to take place. Some seated on the concrete floor and others standing, the trio of Anil Eraslan, Nils Erikson, Marcello S. Busato played improvised free jazz music. Anil Eraslan’s Cello play included unfamiliar experimental techniques which sounded great, percussive and answering to Busato’s drum strokes. Towards the end the trio featured guitarist Alex Kozmidiwho added some sustained electric notes with a pedal, shaped just like the pear shaped sustain pedals on a piano, and a wall of freaky free jazz jams filled the room.
The second act, provided by Utku Tavil and Margaret Unknown, took the night to another corner. ‘We are going to play, the blues.’ Utku announced. Margaret Unknown did look somewhat like a blues singer, with boots, a rimmed hat, and a hollowed guitar. Utku was behind a table with a mic’d snare drum and a mixer. The moment they started, loudness overtook the air. Harsh white noise, distorted guitar, excessive feedbacks, Margaret shouting into the guitar, blasts of snare beats, hat on Margaret’s head gone somewhere between the extreme. In this form of music, one realizes, energy is everything, and it was there. I am not much of a fan of loudness, as my ears hurt (stupid thing to say), but the thrill of heightened and unforgiving expressiveness enthralls one like no other. Everything else seems unlively after a performance like this. Just as I thought my ears could take no more of the high frequencies and I covered my head with a scarf, the performance climaxed to an end. ‘So, that was the blues,’ Utku said, inviting a laughter. It was amazing to feel inside, an unexplainable energy after listening to this short set. 7 minutes or so, ending after just the right amount of sonic stimulation.
Back in the bar where Pogo was again on the couch, I discussed thoughts over this set with Seki Kazehito, a Japanese musician and a close collaborator with Utku. “I loved it and I’m so heightened, but don’t you think these certain genres are at times too loud? It feels unhealthy for the ears. Are all noise/hardcore musicians going deaf?” I challenged. Seki answered with a hypothesis that had never come across me before. “If you think of exposure to loudness as training the ears, like muscles or synapses, the more you use them, couldn’t it be possible that the resolution increases?” I imagined thick cables wired behind these musician’s ears, and it sort of made sense. At least Utku’s works as a trusted sound man was proof enough. The first encounter with Utku Tavil’s works for me, was at one of Berlin’s celebrated Avantgarde Jazz festivals, the A l’arme Festival where Utku was behind the PA mixers. The quadrophonic stages at this festival sounded noticeably amazing.
The third act was a trio by Francisco “Pacho” Davila on sax, Andrea Massaria on guitar and a self built electronic string instrument, and Marcello S. Busato on drums. Andrea Massaria, an Italian guitarist teaching at Venice’s music conservatory played enchanting classic influenced experimental jazz guitar. It was lovely but my ears were compromised from the loudness of the preceding set, and my only critique for the night would be the order of the curation. But a respect to the neighbors is probably what was considered upon the decision of the order, and a well deserved consideration it is, thus I must take back my critique.
Fourth and last was Emilio Berne’ a musician from Italy, cited prepared drums. This was a mystery, as with all ‘prepared’ instruments are. In the dark, a simple drum-set stood in the middle of the room, a few spinner fidget toys were placed on the snare drum which was prepared with a contact microphone taped near the rim. The mic was also connected with a thin wire to the crash cymbals. As it is so easy to be fooled by the look of the fidget toys, the moment Berne’ started playing slamming fast Paradiddles, the spinning toy added a sharp high frequency layer of sound to the delight of the ears. Switching between drum sticks and another spinning toy top, Berne’ added funky syncopated interruptions with another tone produced by the friction of the spinning top and the contact mic. It was a minimal and economical play, that maintained an exciting drive. Despite the kitsch appearance of toys, the sound was most lyrical, serious and thrilling.
Unexpectedly witnessing such a performance, the audience looked satisfied, a girl was jumping up and down with a grin. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, bewildered and moved by how creativity can keep opening doors to new sounds. I was in the city where the Zodiak Free Arts Lab saw birth of krautrock in it’s short months of existence in 1968-69, through experimentation and declaration of new music to come. Where Coney Plank innovated modern sound production techniques throughout the 70s. 50 years later, one could still experience the adventurous raw spirit the city is notorious for. After the performance, some of us in the audience too dumbstruck in awe lingered in the room, trying to take in the moment. ‘It almost feels like singing to me,’ Berne’ explained to the lingerers, about the tones that the top made. I asked Berne’ about the preparations, like if there were any filters involved, ‘Just a contact mic, basically straight into the mixers,’ he told me.
A few days after this event, I was headed to another evening featuring Utku Tavil and Marcello S. Busato, along with Mat Pogo this time with his duo Jealousy Party – a long time collaboration with an electronic musician focusing on pre-recorded material,Roberta WJM Andreucci.
When I arrived a duo with all sorts of blinking electronics was presenting their performance. The room was dark and full of people sipping beers and taking in the thick noise the duo produced. What looked like a plastic radio with a long antenna, microphones, EQ & filter pedals, all sorts of glowing knobs and switches were scattered out on a large table. The heavy low frequencies with industrial texture rumbled and shook the leather sofa I settled down on. I turned on my phone to see the nights line-up…
Multiversal #89 //30th of November // at RauXXXaus / Schwester Martha
BUSÆXUS
Dr. Nexus – Voice, Electronics
Marcello S. Busato – Drums
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JEALOUSY PARTY
Roberta Wjm Andreucci – Samples, Mix
Mat Pogo – Voice, Samples
feat. Utku Tavil – Drums
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Jd Zazie
Jd Zazie – turntables, cdjs, mixer
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Company Fuck
ancient sport of karaoke
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čirnŭ x Piña
čirnŭ – electronics
Constanza Piña – Electronics
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M-Sygma Correlation
