>>PREVIEW
ABSENT SOUND
Saturday, May 5
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer
There is a good chance you won’t hear the new hit from Absent Sound on the radio. Since releasing Its All True on No List Records in 2006, most of the press surrounding these post-rockers has been singing the praises of their epic "The Way The Land Lay." With hypnotic, almost poly-rhythmic guitars drifting on a cloud bed of synth tones and sci-fi warbles, the song is a shimmering wall of sound. It’s also 22 minutes long.
The rest of the tracks on the band’s third long player are equally beautiful, but no less radio friendly. You won’t find a singalong chorus because lyrics, per se, are eschewed in favour of vocal tones that trade melody for an array of processed sound. In fact, you would be hard pressed to even find a "song" because much of the album flows together seamlessly, giving listeners who are willing a chance to surrender to the music. With monolithic track times punctuated by instrument loops and record scratches, Its All True sounds like a perfect blend of well-honed technique and blind instinct. Guitarist David Fort agrees.
"A lot of the material is written instinctually and then the technique is honed afterwards," he says. "But that fluctuates, for sure, because instinct becomes a technique unto itself."
Absent Sound formed five years ago in Winnipeg when Fort joined guitarist Robert Menard in what was at the time an electronic side project. As often happens, before long the side project became the main focus. With the help of a few multi-instrumentalists, the band was creating the kind of ear candy that space-rock junkies drool over. On the surface, their sound best resembles the relentless wash of sound pioneered by Flying Saucer Attack fused with the off-kilter melodies of Tortoise. What sets Absent Sound apart on Its All True is the incorporation of tribal, if not primal, vocals and percussion. It’s the kind of record that makes you want to strap on a pair of massive headphones, turn up the volume and turn out the lights.
"Definitely headphones is the way to enjoy it, because we create worlds in our music and we’re lost in it," says Fort. "Headphones are a great way to get lost in music."
Still, at-home listening is only one part of the Absent Sound experience. Since forming, membership in the band has swelled to include a full-time drummer and a string section. Depending on the show, up to six members take the stage with Absent Sound and while they can offer whisper-soft noise collage, sometimes there is no substitute for the raw power of volume. "We’re usually pretty loud, so we demand attention, which is sometimes totally embraced and other times people aren’t ready for it," says Fort. "The exciting thing about touring is that you are out of your safety element and things become a bit more on edge. I think what separates a great band from an average band is being able to work with the tools that come your way."
Absent Sound bring their own tools of the trade with them. Armed with sternum-shaking low-frequency hum and the occasional tidal wave of sound, their music quickly engenders a visceral reaction from the audience. With no less than 12 pedals between the two guitarists, live performances by the Absent Sound can be incendiary – literally. The last time they played New York City, Fort’s amp actually caught fire.
"I’ve always felt about rock ’n’ roll that anything can happen," says Fort, "and I think our shows reflect that." |
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