From Kent Williams Sent Sat, Aug 14th 1999, 23:30
From Kent Williams Sent Sat, Aug 14th 1999, 23:30
I'll resist the temptation to review this show in the voice of Wesley Willis. Just a quick word though -- Richard Devine and Phoenecia rule live. Rich is onto some s t r a n g e other shit -- obviously there is the Autechre connection, but while they, despite their pointellistic cut-up beats, are at heart minimalists, Rich Devine is a maximalist. A typical track has a foreground of obsessively detailed percussive clatter and odd screeches and grunts, and a background of barely perceptible poppy vamping. Phoenecia's set was marred by losing the subs about halfway through unfortunately, but it was still quite a tastey performance of the far side of electro. Thanks to Mike Javor for setting up this date and letting me pass out on his couch. It is only through the dedication of people like Mike that we in the midwest will get to see cutting edge acts. An aside about Chicago crowds -- just because the candy ravers dance, does that mean all you jaded hipsters have to sit on yer asses all night? Both sets (and the DJ'ing in between by Dan Siska -- don't know if I remembered the name right). When Rich gets out to Iowa this fall we will show Chicago a thing or two about crowd enthusiasm, even in the face of extreme sonic terrorism. kent williams -- xxxx@xxxxxx.xxx