MUSIC | Previews
. M O C S O T O H P E T A E N
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E T A E N G E R G
74 THE LIST 3 Sep–5 Nov 2015
ECLECTIC FESTIVAL EASTERN PROMISE / GOLDEN TEACHER Platform, Glasgow, Fri 18 & Sat 19 Sep
A gem in the Scottish festival calendar, Eastern Promise brings an eclectic mix of indie, noise rock, folk and electronica to Easterhouse. In addition to sets from the incredible Georgian singer Asiq Nargile and the extraordinary Newcastle bard Richard Dawson (to name but two), the weekend is headlined by Falkirk pop maestros Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat, and Glasgow’s mighty Golden Teacher. An eerie dance party soundtracked by mutant disco, dub and Afro-futurist club sounds, Golden Teacher’s new Sauchiehall Enthrall EP is perhaps their best yet. As multi-instrumentalist Oliver Pitt says, ‘part of the joy of making music with five other people is that there’s always six different ideas and six different directions the music’s being pulled in. One person might want to make a dubby disco track whilst someone else is trying to turn it into industrial techno.’
No two Golden Teacher shows are the same. As Pitt explains, ‘there’s always a plan but within that there’s lots of scope to change things from gig to gig. We intentionally keep things open ended, or play unfinished tracks to keep it fresh and fun. If it’s exciting and new for us it’s usually the same for the audience.’ (Stewart Smith)
EVENT THE LIGHTHOUSE LATE The Lighthouse, Glasgow, Fri 9 Oct
Set a reminder to find your dancing shoes and Google Map The Lighthouse, cos we’re having a party and the lineup is a blinder. We’re not even just saying that. That’s how good it is. The third in our series of The Lighthouse Late nights sees the crew here at The List team up with the Glasgow venue – Scotand's centre for design and architecture – for live music and dancing until the wee hours. We’ve asked some of our faves to join us by providing the soundtrack and managed to secure none other than FOUND, Apache Darling, Supermoon (pictured) and the Spook School. Which is, even if we say so ourselves, a pretty decent scoop. FOUND are an Edinburgh-based collective who create lovely experimental noises with an
art-pop edge. AKA Ziggy Campbell and Kev Sim, they stack synths on drums on electronics to create horror-hooked soundscapes. They’ve won a BAFTA, too, so you know they’re legit. Glasgow’s Apache Darling are self-described #thenewpop, think Eurythmics, Sia and Cyndi Lauper, with analogue synths and beautiful vocals. A duo on record, but backed by a live band in person, they will be bringing you rock show aesthetics. Supermoon, the artist formerly known as Meursault, plays uplifting folky melancholia. Neil Pennycook was brave to leave behind Meursault’s superfans, but that’s just a sign of his constant evolution. Finally, but by no means least, the Spook School are making global tidal waves with their tuneful and triumphant queer pop songs about identity and sexuality. (Kirstyn Smith)
ALBUM / INSTALLATION CONCRETE ANTENNA Album released Mon 14 Sep via Random Spectacular, installation runs until Thu 31 Dec
Recently, Newhaven’s skyline has been remoulded. Jutting out of the ground like the prow of a sunken wreck is the landmark tower constructed by the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, a 28 metre-high triangular prism built out of brick and concrete. The space holds strange sonic properties – the opening at the top channels the wind and nearby sounds of the sea inside, creating a kind of resonating chamber. It was this that catalysed the making of Concrete Antenna, a new sound installation and album from Rob St John, Tommy Perman and Simon Kirby. St John has worked on similar projects before, in particular, 2013’s Water of Leith album. He
says that for each member of the trio, the project is a progression from their previous work. ‘Tommy and I share an interest in making work based on Edinburgh’s urban environment, particularly where nature finds gaps and cracks in the fabric of the city.’ Sparse piano, field recordings and archived samples of found sound combine with warm
organic drones and minimal electronica to create a diverse record that complements and reflects the original installation. St John says that the installation is a kind of live performance of the album. ‘The record is a fixed version of some of the elements of the installation, without the endless permutations of environmental chance influencing what you hear. Tommy’s artwork, the essays, and the films we’ve made about the project are all part of situating the record back in the landscape, without necessarily giving a “correct” way of interpreting it.’ (Sam Bradley)