Let me begin by saying that being a short Asian guy in a Dutch festival really sucks. It really does. The majority of Dutch people are TALL, with a whole lot of them being at least 6 ft. My impression is that this year, it got even worse ( possibly due to higher attendance). Could it be the daily cheese & milk diet? All I get is a lot of bloating.
Now that we have gotten the important stuff out of the way, I titled this outsider review because frankly, of all the 3 years I have been to Incubate, never once I have bumped into another SEA fan. Yes, this is my 3rd Incubate, the first being in 2011, i wasnt around in 2012, returned in 2013 & 2014. So it happens that I just happen to be at the right place & right time when this is all happening. No complains at all there.
The one major difference between last year’s fest and this year’s, was that for this year, I really went deep into the drone/psych/experimental/noise sets, as compared to last years electronica heavy sets. It could have been due to the major conflicting schedules but it could also be reflecting on what my playlist have been for 2014. Ok, lets get the ball rolling!
Day One
Technically, Incubate is a week long festival, normally starting on Monday. However, for all 3 Incubates I have only managed to cover the last 3 days.
One of the funniest things for me for this year is that , I dont know, or rather, am not familiar with the back catalogue of most of the acts. So it always nice to chance upon an act which you dont feel like you’ve just wasted precious festival time for. Tremoro Tarentura were part of the Norwegian Invasion portion of Incubate, where a number of excellent Norwegian bands ( including the great MoE and new favs of mine, Moon Relay, both bands I missed due to them playing during the week) descended upon Tilburg. The air was heavy with smoke machine atmosphere, I could hardly even make out the band on stage. They’re a five piece band , with a lead singer who looked and sounded like he would have fronted a garage rock band ( ala The HIves, for the sake of example) but instead, playing noise rock. The closest approximation I would give about their sound was that they sound like a much more heavier Thee Oh Sees. This was definitely very riffy and groovy noise rock and very , very loud. So much so that the PA tripped a few times during their set ( found out later , it was due to water spillage on the power outlets,still…..). The mix wasnt the greatest and i could hardly hear the (really cool looking) synth player but all in all, it was a very enjoyable evening set from a band I have no knowledge prior to this. Definitely keeping an eye on them. Find out more about them here and some video clips here
This Will Destroy You
I was a bit reluctant for this, as I was trying to decide whether I should catch this band or Mick Turner ( of Dirty Three) playing elsewhere at the same time. I decided to stay for TWDY as I have been reading ( but have not heard) that their new album incorporates new ambient textures and ” doomgaze” influences, definitely interesting in my books as compared to the bog standard cliche post rock sound of late. Plus the fact that I saw them setting up cool gear onstage ( mini modular synths, a vintage Korg analog synth) intrigued me. As the set progressed, there were ambient textures present, gentle pads amidst the delayed tremoloed guitars. Unfortunately, I didnt get the doom vibe that I was so much expecting to hear, maybe PItchfork was exaggerating on that part a bit. To be fair, I thought TWDY played a very good set, judging by the response of the punters ( it was a full house) but naturally, I couldnt feel the connection and left 40 mins into the set. Find out more about TWDY here and some video clips here.
Staer
I promised these guys back when they played KL , read here , that I would be back in Incubate to catch them. I kept that promise and managed to say hi to the band before they started, even though I thought the venue they played in was the worst venue in all Incubate. It is not so much the claustrophobic environment ( it was held in this hotel seminar room??? in a narrow basement?? who does seminars in here??), with its crazy low ceiling, that bothers me. ITs just that it was filled with yapping audience more interested in loud chatter at the bar ( yes the basement has a bar) then watching the band play. Whats the point then of being there? Thankfully, Staer , as expected , delivered a pull no punches thread which rises above the crowd din. Find out about the band here and watch a clip here
Aidan Baker/Thisquietarmy/Hypnodrone ensemble
Aidan Baker fronts Nadja, a band with a solid back catalogue , heavier on the drone/doom side. I missed their Incubate set for this year but it was cool to see that he was involved in at least 3 special collaboration sets throughout the weekend. In fact, this was one of my heavily anticipated sets. Featuring 3 drummers and also one man drone band thisquietarmy, they quickly settled into a propulsive motorik backbeat, with Aidan doing the drones while thisquietarmy supplies the more melodic arpeggios. It was really really nice getting into the groove that the drummers were providing and im sure the rest of the audience agreed as well, judging by the high number of bobbing heads. As hypnodrone ensemble is a festival only ensemble ( purely on improv based), they have no permanent presence but you can find out more about Nadja here. Some clips of the performance can be found here.
Ramleh
I had no idea who Ramleh was, until my mate Azzief asked me to check them out. I mean, if not for him, I would have dismissed Ramleh purely by name ( “apa ni, band nama macam Ramli Burger??” you can google translate that). I would have done them a great disservice, as I found out that Ramleh had a rich, important place in the history of the noise/power electronics movement. What even suprised me more when I got to the venue, was that there were this two blokes, who, despite dressing in an all black matching ensemble, would look nothing like noise musicians. That amazement quickly went away as Ramleh launched into a rip roaring, throat searing intense set. It really made me smile, here were two middle aged men, whom on any other day I would have not even give them a second look, creating some of the nastiest sounds this side of Holland. Amazingly, there was a decent and attentive crowd, with a large number of female audiences. Thats we really need more of in Malaysia; more women involving in avant garde/noise! Anyway, find out more about Ramleh here and some clips here.
Angel Olsen
Eventually, this was the highlight of the day for me. I had been a casual fan of Angel Olsen, when she first broke out with her debut album Half Way Home and her appearance with Bonnie Prince Billy. Her earlier work was sparse and acoustic based and her voice, that golden golden yodel/drawl, can be regarded as an acquired taste. But it was not until her second album , Burn Your Fire For No Witness, that I really took notice of her. The acoustic remained in the background while she picks up the electric guitar for her sophomore release. This was far from being folk singer turned indie rock; the raw , fuzzy electric further accentuate her cryptic lyrics and that unique voice of hers. But hey, how about the performance?
The venue was a gorgeous theater in the center of Tilburg town, the same venue where during last years Incubate, Tim Hecker played in complete darkness. That said, I hated the venue this time for the same reasons why I hated the venue for Neko Case’s performance at Mosaic Festival Singapore earlier this year. This was a seating only venue and acts like Neko and Angel are not the kind of acts you want to watch sitting down. Anyway, i went early, grabbed front row seats, for because you do not want to miss that piercing , nonchalant stare of hers when she performs. There’s always this sinister smirk on her when she performs and combined with her dark twisted lyrics, makes for one amazing performance. Her backing band and her went through mostly songs from her new album and the stage mix was great, never letting the other instruments overpowering her already theater filling voice. This being a festival set, the set was a short one and hopefully in the future I can catch her on her proper tour. Check out Angel Olsen here and some clips here.
Be sure to come back for day Two!!!
Emancipationdissonance 