Local lefty axe wielder Stefan took the stage with Alexander (aka Dave Shapiro), and a drummer/ circuit bender. These guys are all part of the local avant psych collective that includes Headroom and The Mountain Movers. Shapiro also spends time stocking the shelves at local record emporium Redscroll. The boys sent the crowd covering their ears and heading toward the exit with an air raid level feedback assault. Noise and drone were deafening, even the headliner who was parked in front of me, got his drink and went outside. The squall was attenuated by the circuit bender, who had an upright box filled with lights and wires, it looked as if he was playing Battleship on a Lite-Brite. “Song” number two was a fluid jammer that had Shapiro moving to bass and Christensen talk singing some parts. The effect was True Story-era David Byrne mashed with a Weasel Walter style guitar freakout which pulled patrons back from the smoking section.
Louca is a Cairo based “sound collagist”. He appeared on stage with a guitar and table with a couple of laptops and several sound boxes. He started with light repetitive guitar work that had a distinct North African feel. Moving to the electronics emitted some squelchy sequences. Couldn’t help but think this music was perfect for some documentary or even horror film. The noises were varied, one sounded like a Good Humor truck being run over by a steamroller, another sequence sounded like a bagpiper being pushed off a cliff, two horror films in the making I guess. At one point, Louca switched to a lap slide setup (lap-oud maybe?), and seemed very accomplished with the slide. Louca also plays in the globetrotting Dwarves of East Aghouza with Sun City Girl Alan Bishop and Sam Shalabi. The set rolled like a dream, careening from one set of noise to quieter passages. Unlike anything I’ve seen before, which is a box seldom checked.
