Vitalic – Flashmob
Pascal Arbez, aka Vitalic is back with a new album, a follow up to his debut in 2005, Ok Cowboy. His live version of OK Cowboy, Vlive, showcased a vibrant collection of electro to rival Daft Punk, who are often cited as one of his major musical inspirations.
His latest track medley, entitled Flashmob (released on September 27th 09), is sure to be another classic. Here is the video for poison lips, one of the songs from the new album, directed beautifully by Julien Levy.
A Passion For Live Music
Since arriving in the steel city (Sheffield) I have developed a distinct taste for live music. Its everywhere and there’s always something going on here. A stark contrast to Bath, the city I have spent the last 5 years of the young life residing in.
Massive Attack
The first gig I attended in Sheffield was Massive attack. They have been on my “to watch” list for many, many years and after missing out on a joint venture with Portishead in Bristol back in 2005 I have had the urge for them wow me musically in person. When I saw they were performing at the O2 arena there was no hesitation. I was going.
Splitting The Atom EP
Massive attack are (were) huge. They have had some absolutely massive tracks. You know some of them. One of these tracks is teardrop, a beautiful and melodic concoction of deep beats and inspiring vocals. It was featured brilliantly on the American TV series prison break at the end of the first season, acting as an emotional summary capsule of each prisoner’s place within the story up to that point. It has also been recently been covered by Newton Faulkner. Being their biggest single, it is song the majority of the crowd is there to see. It happens at every gig. There will be people attending who have not listened to an artists album, let alone dipped into the rich musical back catalogue that a group such as massive attack have at their disposal. They are there to hear that one big chart hit, waiting in suspense for it be played. And play it they did. However, it took a while for the crowd to realise exactly what they were hearing. Cleverly, massive attack had decided that rather than succumb to the pressures of the eager crowd they would remix the original, providing fans of the group an additional dimension to the classic track, rather than laden them with familarity. They used the support act Martina Topley-Bird (who is rumored to feature heavily on their upcoming album LP5) to deliver the poignant track vocals. Here is a video of the track being performed in a similar fashion in Moscow, a few concert stops down the line from Sheffield:
There were some outstanding individual performances. The song Angel in particular was very well delivered, due in part to the vocal presence of reggae legend Horace Andy, who has a real charisma about stage and a very unique singing voice. However, in regard to the overall experience, I came away disappointed. I didn’t feel the musical connection I had been hoping for, and the hour long delay didn’t exactly add to the occasion. Perhaps its because they failed to play the songs I was really craving to hear (like heat miser, which for some reason does not feature on their great hits album, Collected) It made me realise that I had alot in common with the concert goers that only know one or two tracks, we are all holding out for that familiarity we can share with a song and an artist.
Passionpit
On Wednesday 21st Oct 2009 I ventured to the Leadmill to see Passionpit. I have to be honest, I was expecting. That is because Passionpit, who hail from Boston, recently released a debut album nothing short of incredible. Laced with delights, the album is one of those rare collections that doesn’t seem to falter on any level. It is arranged such that each track is like a thread, when all weaved together create a rich and complex tapestry of music. Each listen improves the experience, much like any album with true musical longevity. It has rocketed up my play count rankings in itunes in recent months, with some songs getting more air time than others, namely swimming in the flood and Moths wings.
The band came about when the founding member, Michael Angelakos wrote four songs for his girlfriend as a Valentines day gift. When the songs were heard by friends, they urged him to release an EP. In doing so, two additional tracks were added to the roster: Sleepyhead and Better things. The EP was rapidly spread around the Boston area and before long, Passionpit was a household name. Sleepyhead is perhaps the most well known track and was featured in numerous commercials in 2008. The video (shown below) made its way into Pitchfork’s top 40 Videos of 2008.
The gig itself lived up to the hype. The band were engaging and the music was intoxicating. I even bought a T-shirt to commemorate the occasion. It was also my little brother’s first gig, and I feel privileged to have introduced him to the world of live music with such a bang!
