Battles – Live in Galway

Posted on 26th Aug 07 by Contributor | 0

Artist: Battles
Author: Hubert McIntyre

One of the most blogged about releases of the year" the universal approval of Battles" debut album" Mirrored" is a reassuring sign of the times. Who would have guessed in 2006 that the warmest reception this year would be saved for an experimental progressive album with math"rock time signatures and no lyrics on Warp Records" That sentence might make Battles sound like tough listening" but they"re a lot more ear"friendly on record" and at their recent live gig in Galway"s Roisin Dubh they proved their ability to reproduce their complex layered sound live" and rock everyone"s face off in the process.

Centre stage tonight is John Stanier on drums" formally of 90"s drop"d alternative rockers Helmet. "That"s drop"d as in the guitar tuning " not the epoch defining Irish music website"""" He"s got a background in the disciplined word of drum corps" an audible taste for Hip"Hop" and a brutal playing style. To his left stands Tyondai Braxton" son of legendary multi"instrumentalist jazzman" composer" philosopher" and erstwhile professional chess hustler Anthony Braxton "although no relation to Toni". He loops and samples live" plays guitar and keyboards" and intermittently contributes distorted wordless vocals to the mix. Ian Williams" formerly of math"rock trailblazers Don Caballero" is on the right" playing guitar and keyboards. Lurking behind them is Dave Konopka" veteran of Lynx" another instrumental band " his bass tied up right against his chin" laying down tight staccato rhythms with a mean look of determination on his face.

A hardened bunch of musicians then" with diverse backgrounds leaning mostly towards the avant"garde end of the musical spectrum. The resultant sound is hard to put your finger on. It"s cerebral and erratic" kooky and bizarre" and they"ve got that irresistible combination of speed and precision. If you"re one of the eight people left not to have heard their breakthrough single Atlas" just imagine something the seven dwarves might chant on their way to a rave. The bouncy swing beat underpinning the track has got it compared to everything from Marilyn Manson"s The Beautiful People to Gary Glitter"s The Glitter Beat. It"s been one of the tunes of the year" and when they drop it tonight" the sold out Roisin Dubh goes mental.

The place is packed to the gills" hugely appreciative and very sweaty. Atlas" driving beat is perfect for some good jumping up and down with one hand in the air. Beers are spilled" T"shirts are soaked " but it"s ok. They follow it up with one of Mirrored"s other highlights" the impossibly cool Layendecker. Knightrider bass and the kind of distant" reverb drenched alternate picking that Radiohead fans will know and love make the track sound menacing even while topped by Tyondai"s chipmunk"esque R"n"B warblings. With the two most instant tunes out of the way" the band are free to get back to what they do best " settle into long post"rock workouts. Technically dazzling "guitar players will notice Tyondai pulling off some nifty left hand tapping while playing synth at the same time" and dripping with huge distorted noises courtesy of an array of gadgets" these songs cruise along only to erupt into heavy segments that snap you out of the trance you"ve fallen into and start jumping again.

They"re a world"class outfit. The music might be a touch mechanical and austere at times" but there"s a lot to like" from the complicated polyrhythmic arrangements to the sheer newness of their genre fusing sound. Techie musos can stroke their beards in delight" there are a few chances to hum along to the vocals and a few opportunities for a bit of a dance" they"re weird enough for Warp" but catchy enough for mainstream recognition. If you"ve read this far I'm sure you"ll already know" Battles are great" and now we know in Ireland " their live show rocks hard.