Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Concert Review Catch-Up: Ulrich Schnauss, Cinematic Orchestra
Ulrich Schnauss: 9/23 at MFA Boston
Review By Jeremy Karp
Stepping into this show, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was mildly familiar with Schnauss' style, and in the last week, I'd begun to digest his newest album "Goodbye". However, as always when I see electronic musicians live, I wonder about the value of live performances outside the realm of live instrumentation. Once at the show, it seemed to me that Ulrich overcomes this obstacle by making his live show have more in common with many performance art pieces than a typical concert. He was situated in the corner with a laptop and some other electronic gadgets, while the main focus of the show was on a film which was clearly set to the music. This created a relaxing and fitting (for an art museum with a sizable modern art collection) environment, which greatly exemplified the strong points of Schnauss' sound.
Cinematic Orchestra: 9/25 at The Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Review By Jeremy Karp
I should start off this review by noting that I went into this show with incredibly high expectations for the band. In the week preceding the concert, I had rediscovered their newest gem, "Ma Fleur", and had listened to it nearly nonstop. The album succeeds by combining beautiful soundscapes and stunning vocal performances against a Pink Floyd-tinged jazzy backdrop. However, live, the band places themselves firmly within the confines of a jazz group. Unfortunately, I thought this decision ultimately hindered the band live. While, at times, the beautiful, dreamy atmospheres that I fell in love with on the album were still present, these moments of greatness were often far apart, and much of the time in between was filled with overindulgent solos. Some of the audience was quick to cheer on the band's instrumental jams, but it was clear that others were experiencing the same disappointment I was. Overall, I'm reluctant to straight up recommend Cinematic Orchestra's live show, but if you can tolerate a number of smooth jazz-esque instrumental interludes to get to the sonic climaxes felt on the album, you won't be disappointed.
Review By Jeremy Karp
Stepping into this show, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was mildly familiar with Schnauss' style, and in the last week, I'd begun to digest his newest album "Goodbye". However, as always when I see electronic musicians live, I wonder about the value of live performances outside the realm of live instrumentation. Once at the show, it seemed to me that Ulrich overcomes this obstacle by making his live show have more in common with many performance art pieces than a typical concert. He was situated in the corner with a laptop and some other electronic gadgets, while the main focus of the show was on a film which was clearly set to the music. This created a relaxing and fitting (for an art museum with a sizable modern art collection) environment, which greatly exemplified the strong points of Schnauss' sound.
Cinematic Orchestra: 9/25 at The Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Review By Jeremy Karp
I should start off this review by noting that I went into this show with incredibly high expectations for the band. In the week preceding the concert, I had rediscovered their newest gem, "Ma Fleur", and had listened to it nearly nonstop. The album succeeds by combining beautiful soundscapes and stunning vocal performances against a Pink Floyd-tinged jazzy backdrop. However, live, the band places themselves firmly within the confines of a jazz group. Unfortunately, I thought this decision ultimately hindered the band live. While, at times, the beautiful, dreamy atmospheres that I fell in love with on the album were still present, these moments of greatness were often far apart, and much of the time in between was filled with overindulgent solos. Some of the audience was quick to cheer on the band's instrumental jams, but it was clear that others were experiencing the same disappointment I was. Overall, I'm reluctant to straight up recommend Cinematic Orchestra's live show, but if you can tolerate a number of smooth jazz-esque instrumental interludes to get to the sonic climaxes felt on the album, you won't be disappointed.
