Grauzone Pageant : Reside Assessment
Den Haag Holland
Feb 2025
With its combine and match of basic and leading edge, Grauzone is probably the important thing post-punk/darkish digital/goth pageant on the circuit and a significant occasion that breaks new music in addition to being a cultural excessive level that displays very well on its residence metropolis.
Through the years, it has moved from its roots in Amsterdam and celebration of the previous classics just like the Damned to a invoice that mixes the previous, new, borrowed and blue with a heavy emphasis on the new.
In a cimmerian rush the levels are dominated by future darkish from the various permutations of put up EMB to everlasting DJs and infrequently it’s the pulsating loss of life disco of digital that dominates the area delivered by artists who’re form shifters of the longer term…and this can be a good factor! Music ought to at all times be in a fast-forward stream while celebrating its previous.
Grauzone have discovered the proper steadiness of this.
Friday sees the plaintive and emotionally charged ballads of Zola Jesus who has moved away from her industrial clank and grind to solo operatic darkish songs stuffed with drama and despair accompanied by her grand piano as she sings of heartache with an undertow of heartbreak at her mom America lurching to the correct in a disastrous few weeks. Excessive Viz are but extra proof that when numbskulls ask why are there no indignant bands any extra they need to be asking ‘why am I so out of contact?’ Publish IDLES there was an area for prime power excessive octane and er, excessive viz bands like this and their supercharged excessive voltage present is a rush of indignant, raucous vocal and twitching rhythms delivered with a punk depth and it goes down a storm because the band. who’re on a quick observe for a giant breakthrough, flail on the desperation of those occasions brilliantly. Dutch band Tramhaus are a LTW common, and their power dislocation and hypnotic rhythmic rushes, primarily culled from their upcoming debut album from The First Exit, are additional proof that they’re one of many guitar bands of the second.
Geneva Jacuzzi is immersed within the eighties, and he or she in some way manages to embrace the avante-garde leanings of the fringes of the Pet Store Boys with a deep dive into the underground of Throbbing Gristle embracing the truth that it was all pop in its personal method. Her theatrical efficiency is similar – the music pumping from a laptop computer along with her sci-fi pop priestess presence accompanied by two dancers delivering kilter routines working the stage, lights and props in a totally trendy monochromatic nonstop cease darkish wave unique pop cabaret.
It’s 40 years since I noticed Xmal Deutschland ship a superb brooding set at Heaven in London so it was a thrill to see Anja Huwe again onstage for her first solo present showcasing her debut solo album Codes. She has picked up from the place she left of with a strong hypnotic but danceable industrial post-punk that clanks and grinds on the proper groove while constructing a basis for her commanding and highly effective voice and stage presence. This isn’t the tip, however the starting of late-career flourish with music to match, and her solo items are welcomed by the most important viewers response of the weekend that’s topped by a standing ovation.
After a day watching an incredible doc about Lebanon Hanover known as ‘Lebanon Hanover – A Stunning Place’ after which the ‘Digital Physique Film’ which is a good account of the historical past of EBM it was in some way becoming to look at a form of replace on the model with Detroit’s ADULT whose post-modern digital music embraces the analogue dystopia of these pioneers however mangles it with a really switchblade Detroit rock n roll vibe in a excessive power present. The husband and spouse crew ship a set of lethal nightside cool and emotive danceable beats in one of many highlights of the weekend.
Downstairs in an insanely packed smaller room Errorr shake some motion in a charming set of storage noise rock and fuzztone bass pushed guitar that melts melody and time right into a excessive decibel rush that’s proof that there’s nonetheless a lot to discover within the basic guitar, bass and drums chassis. Their songs are charming with a excessive voltage cool and sugar coated by nice harmonies and freeform freakouts.
Grauzone has already introduced subsequent yr…it is advisable be there.
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