Sala Estúdio Perpétuo is a cinema and concert venue on the grounds of the former Sala Estúdio, a 1966 cinema within a building designed by architect Luiz Cunha. The weekend was divided between an indoors concert, Miaux + Paraíso Plástico and an outdoors one, Sereias.
Paraíso Perdido (João Pinho) gave its debut concert Saturday evening. Electronic landscapes of a certain intensity were the defining key of Paraíso Perdido’s concert. Miaux (Sarajevo born Belgian musician Mia Prec) and her vintage Casio filled the room with melodies that ranged from a blink to the dance floor to baroque music. It was a soul filling performance with cinematic tones, quite appropriated to the beautiful cinema room where Miaux was playing.
The following late afternoon Serieas presented their self-titled second album. As usual to anyone familiar with their live sets, Serias line-up is ever changing with a few constants and their concerts are far different, much more raw, groovy and in your face than their albums. António Pedro Ribeiro (vocals), Arianna Casellas (vocals, electronics), João Pires (drums), Tommy Luther Hughes (bass), Kaué Grindi (guitar), Nils Meisel (electronics) and Ra-Yacov (trumpet) along with Kenneth Stitt occasional improv performance appearances, lead the audience into a tribal, primeval funk.
João and Tommy are a devilish rhythm section that carries and sustains the rest of the band, much the other may lead towards the abyss, glory, or both. Live, with Sereias it is an almost non-stop dancing, a trip to another universe filled with warm grooves, sharp inflections, chaotic, yet never too far-out, out-bursts of energy. Everything always seems to be about to crumble, to be too maniac, and at times it is maniac and sharp and insane, but it always returns to a more “restrained” path.
Fitting that Adolfo Lúxuria Canibal wrote the new album presentation text. If there is a live band in which Mão Morta’s early years energy and spirit is present it is in Sereias.
Amazing Songs & Other Delights #26 the Another Bag of New Songs edition airs today on Yé Yé Radio: https://yeyeradio.com/ or on the app 3-4pm (gmt+1). My bag is filled with new songs, newish songs or remixed songs. It is an upbeat edition with songs ranging from newcomer Lola Flowers to veteran Liam Gallagher. Jackie Down The Line by Fontaines D.C. is one of the dozen plus songs that will be played.
The Another Bag of New Songs edition is Amazing Songs & Other Delights #26. It airs tomorrow on Yé Yé Radio: https://yeyeradio.com/ or on the app 3-4pm (gmt+1). My bag is filled with new songs, newish songs or remixed songs. It is an upbeat edition with songs ranging from newcomer Lola Flowers to veteran Liam Gallagher. Tracklist below.
Tracklist: 01 – !!! (Chk Chk Chk) – Storm Around The World (ft. Maria Uzor) 02 – Anthony Moore – Judy Get Down 03 – Emily Jane White – Poisoned 04 – Fontaines D.C. – Jackie Down The Line 05 – Horsegirl – Billy 06 – Hot Left Pole – A Very Wise Old Man 07 – Liam Gallagher – C’mon You Know 08 – Lola Flowers – I Look So Good 09 – Matt Dorrien – Dance 10 – Maxwell Farrington & Le Superhomard – Two Hopeful Lovers x 11 – Naoise Roo – Whore (John Agnello Remix) 12 – Perspex – Ceefax & Asbestos 13 – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Dive Deep 14 – Ryan Egan – Alone For The Last Time 15 – Sean Riley w/ The Legendary Tigerman – Good Kids 16 – Sopa de Pedra – Fonte 17 – TheBobbyLees – Dig Your Hips
text: Neno Costa (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota
Helms Alee Seattle’s trio Helms Alee returned to Portugal, ensuring they were a stimulating opening act, combining a rough sound texture with well-matched and creative melodic brushstrokes, avoiding the most commonplaces of noise rock. Portentous bass and energetic drums, refreshed by an intense guitar Helm Alee fulfilled the first part of the concert almost without fault (it seems that in Lisbon it was better), leaving our mouths watering to be better listened to.
Russian Circles With a well-defined identity, Russian Circles belong to the sound universe of excellent composers of instrumental post-rock, such as Mono or Godspeed You! Black Emperor (some great concerts promoted by Amplificasom are fondly remembered). Masters of an energy purified from the gratuitousness of the formulas that inhabit some worlds of the heaviest sounds, the Chicago trio saluted those who sold out Hard Club’s Sala 2 with a first-class sonic trip. The pretext of their latest album Blood Year (2019), which promotion was cur short by the pandemic, served as a ride to revisit some of the many brilliant themes that inhabit Russian Circles seven studio albums. In fact, only two themes from their latest work were included in the proposed menu -Arluck and Quartered- the first as an opening painting the air with Brian Cook’s portentous bass, followed by Dave Turncrantz’s vigorous beat dilating the walls of the room, merging with Mike Sullivan’s irreproachable guitar electrifying the hanging heads. A lingering guitar riff filled the air with Afrika (Guidance, 2016), on a journey from primordial ingenuity to an indefinable urgency to lead to redemptive hope. Subjective landscapes, yes, but also one of the merits of some aphonic bands, as is the case. Harper Lewis (Station, 2008) continued the well-woven progression of the line up, with punchy rhythmic phrases hand in hand with moving and fresh melodic clearings. The first clear chords of Quatered progressed until collapsing in an eloquent and overwhelming harmonic avalanche. If digitally reproduced sound is tasty, live is even more superlative, full-bodied, crisp and immersive. Tuned like clocks, without scenic artifice or gestural theatrics Russian Circles guided the audience’s emotions through dynamic and fluid bridges between unique landscapes such as Deficit (Memorial, 2013), 309 (Empros, 2011), Conduit (recent theme) and Vorel. (Guidance, 2016) ending with Youngblood (Station, 2008) in a well-constructed visceral intensity to finish off an impeccable concert that we already miss.
Helms Alee O trio de Seattle Helms Alee regressou a Portugal, assegurando uma primeira parte estimulante, conjugando uma textura sonora áspera com pinceladas melódicas bem conjugadas e criativas, evitando os lugares mais comuns no noise rock. Baixo portentoso e bateria enérgica, refrescadas por uma guitarra intensa, os Helm Alee cumpriram a primeira parte do concerto quase sem mácula (parece que em Lisboa esteve melhor), deixando água na boca para melhores audições.
Russian Circles Com uma identidade bem definida, os Russian Circles pertencem ao universo sonoro de compositores exímios nos trilhos do post-rock instrumental como são, por exemplo, os Mono ou os Godspeed You! Black Emperor (recorda-se com saudade alguns dos grandes concertos promovidos pela Amplificasom). Senhores de uma energia depurada da gratuitidade das fórmulas que habitam alguns territórios das sonoridades mais pesadas, o trio de Chicago brindou todos quantos esgotaram a sala 2 do Hard Club com uma viagem sónica em primeira classe. O pretexto do seu último álbum “Blood Year”(2019), cuja promoção se viu amputada pela pandemia, serviu de boleia à revisitação de alguns dos muitos temas brilhantes que habitam os sete álbuns de estúdio dos Russian Circles. Com efeito, somente dois temas do seu último trabalho integraram a ementa proposta -Arluck e Quatered-, com o primeiro a abrir o concerto e a pintar o ar com o baixo portentoso de Brian Cook, seguido pela batida vigorosa de Dave Turncrantz a dilatar as paredes da sala, fundindo-se com a guitarra irrepreensível de Mike Sullivan a eletrificar as cabeças penduladas. O riff prolongado da guitarra encheu o ar com Afrika (Guidance, 2016), numa viagem da ingenuidade primordial até uma urgência indefinível para desembocar numa esperança redentora. São paisagens subjetivas, sim, mas esse é, também, um dos méritos de algumas bandas afónicas, como é o caso. Harper Lewis (Station, 2008) deu continuidade à progressão bem tecida do alinhamento, com frases rítmicas enérgicas de mão dada com clareiras melódicas, comoventes e frescas. Os primeiros acordes de Quartered, límpidos, progrediram até desabar numa avalancha harmónica, eloquente e arrebatadora. Se o som reproduzido digitalmente é saboroso, ao vivo é ainda mais superlativo, encorpado, nítido e envolvente. Afinados como relógios, sem artifícios cénicos ou teatralidade gestual, os Russian Circles guiaram as emoções do público através de pontes dinâmicas e fluidas entre paisagens únicas como Deficit (Memorial, 2013), 309 (Empros, 2011), Conduit (tema recente) e Vorel (Guidance, 2016) terminando com Youngblood (Station, 2008) numa intensidade visceral bem construída a rematar um concerto irrepreensível que deixou saudades.
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 