Event Review: Stephan Bodzin & Marc Romboy @ Footwork Bar, March 12, 2011

The March 12th Stephan Bodzin and Marc Romboy performance at Footwork Bar in Toronto marks the second visit in just over six months that the Herzblut founder has made to the Canadian city.  The first performance which also took place at Footwork in late August, 2010, only drew about half as many club-goers as the event this past weekend.  While Marc Romboy recently released The Overture on Brazilian-based label Tronic, Bodzin has not produced much new material since 2008's Bremen Ost 12"; his Liebe Ist... long-player being his last notable major release to precede that.  The most recent release the duo have embarked upon came in December of last year, but Drei Monde, consists only of remixes of previously released material. 

The two have recently released Luna - a compilation vinyl consisting of mainly previously released material that the duo have released over the years.  The recent Toronto performance was one of many tour dates in support of the release.

Although a doubling crowd size in this period of time often comes as the result of a breakthrough release, it does not seem to be so in their case.  The Toronto dance culture has been largely focused on 'grime' focused, bass-heavy music.  While the popularity of this type of music is at its peak in Canada, many listeners have out grown the relentless aggression that has become popular with so many DJs.  In Toronto the doors are wide open for new acts, a slot that Bodzin and Romboy have slipped into perfectly.  While retaining enough aggression to draw out some of the 'grime' fans and trendy Queen-West 20-somethings, Bodzin and Romboy were also able to draw the underground and bedroom-electronic listeners, making for a diverse and excitable crowd fairly atypical of the Toronto club scene.

In using three lap-tops and various MIDI controllers, their set was characterized by a driving German sound separated by large, progressive builds that sounded more like improvised sonic experimentation than mixes between tracks. While Bodzin often plays only his own material solo, he and Romboy played the music of many other artists as well as their own; a true DJ set as opposed to the performance-style sets Bodzin has become known for.  The higlight of the night was "Callisto," a Bodzin/Romboy track that was mixed into a dreamy interpretation of the original, eventually returning to its melodic roots and settling nicely into a groove that had everyone moving closer to the stage.  Concurrent with the Luna connotations and album art, their set was played alongside projections of space-themed visuals on a large overhead screen. 

Footwork has definitely become the go-to Toronto venue for European electronic acts; while still booking predominantly bass-heavy club music it is bringing many new sounds to Toronto, a city that in the last few years has become stagnant with regards to much of the electronic world.  The only major downfall of the club would be its peculiar triangular shape; a shape that tends to trap the low-end of kick drums and muddy up much of the mid-range.  That said, the vibe there is generally friendly and for people who simply love music and attend to be entertained.  

After watching Bodzin and Romboy work off each other for over four hours from a box-side standpoint, it was clear that they perform simply for the love of music themselves.  They are two very approachable, friendly individuals who put their heart and soul into what they do.  Although much of their performance seemed on-the-fly in terms of mixing and song selection at no point was there any poor decisions made on either of their parts; both the bedroom fans and regular club attendees were more than pleased.  It would not be surprising if their popularity in Toronto continues to grow and one, or both, return to the city for another performance in the near future.

Photo Credit: Jill Dennis

Event Review: The Field & The Juan MacLean @ Tattoo Rock Parlour, June 18, 2009

    The Field (aka Axel Willner) recently made his first public appearance in the city of Toronto in support of his sophomore album Yesterday and Today, at Tattoo Rock Parlour on Queen West.  Tattoo isn't the sort of venue you'd first associate with the surreal sampling patterns and entrancing melodic rhythms that can be heard on Willner's two full-lengths.  It's an upscale rock club-- a two floored bar that entertains simultaneous shows, complete with booths, tables and overpriced drinks.  The stage on which the show took place immediately directed the attention to the 'rockstar' image, raised high above the audience and accompanied by a sound system more suited for guitars and live vocals than sequencers and synthesizers.

But before hearing any sounds from the show, someone who has never heard The Field before might expect a rock band to take stage.  Littered with drums, sequencers, computers, guitar pedals, and a bass guitar setup, it seemed as though that the audience was indeed getting prepared for some rock music.  Willner has added multiple live instruments to his shows to keep it refreshing, likely to appeal to the indie rock crowd his popularity has seemingly bled into-- a crowd that tends to be equally focused on the visual component of entertainment compared to the actual music itself.  It seems as though when Pitchfork magazine chooses to review an electronic artist the bleed over into the indie crowd allows a cross-continental electronic act to draw enough of a crowd in Toronto to make the trip to North America worth while.

While many audience members may have been prepared for a rock show, that is not what they received.  Willner and two accompanying musicians took the stage first; New York based DFA group The Juan MacLean were to play second.  Willner did not ease into anything, blasting into "The Little Heart Beats So Fast" only two tracks into his set, and shortly after drums and bass were added during a break in "I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet," remaining a part of the show for the remainder of their stage time.  The entrancing sampling and repetitive progression of The Field's music made the listener almost forget that some of the instruments were being played live, occasional cymbal crashes and bass runs providing momentary reminders that there were indeed other musicians playing along.

Willner pleased the audience by providing an equal mix of material in his hour and a half-long set from both Yesterday and Today and From Here We Go Sublime.  The intermission saw a good chunk of the crowd leaving-- some who did not return had only come to see Willner.  After a brief setup time, The Juan MacLean began playing.  Products of the LCD Soundsystem hype machine, The Juan MacLean definitely pulls some loyal fans in Toronto.  Although many of their tracks appeal to the same indie-dance genre popularized in the 2000s, their trademark single "Happy House" is a track that is tough to find yourself standing still to even if they aren't your thing; at over 10 minutes it was the staple of their set.

Despite the length of many of the tracks played by both acts, the length of this performance would not have pleased regular DJ fans.  At $20+ for the show, only two acts seemed insufficient for most attendees.  Then again this was a show at Tattoo Rock Parlour, expecting more is probably unrealistic as blistering guitar solos and double-bass pedals are the norm most nights.