Kauf performing the second night of his month long residency.
The Echo's Monday night residencies are a great snapshot of local color. The headliner curates the evening's performers, so the night has a continuous aesthetic even as the music changes. This month that artist is electronic musician Kauf.
Electronic performances are a different type of animal from a (quote unquote) "rock" show, where the performers' raw emotion is as much a part of the spectacle as the music. Instead, shows like last Monday's are calmer, the musicians focused on sculpting sounds. There's no less emotion, it's just a different approach to exploring it. They don't need to be pouring sweat or ripping music from their instruments. It's impressive to watch how a few small movements on their part can elicit a major response from the audience.
Lo Moon
All that said... opening act Lo Moon wasn't an electronic band. Their music occupies a similar territory though. Two guitars, a drummer, and a bassist/synth player (who switched between the two in a single song). The quartet were alternately danceable, introspective, and atmospheric. They switched from a calm, moody feel to an intense, driving rhythm smoothly, and without warning. They had hints of 80's synth rock to them, sometimes without even the synth in the mix, and a touch of noise as well. It's not quite shoegaze, not quite synth rock, it's bass heavy, and heartfelt (with song titles like "Real Love"). The closest available point of reference for Lo Moon was Peter Gabriel, but that feels like a stretch. The lead guitarist played with a wiry energy, shaking his guitar and doubling over, wrenching calming sounds out of intensity. With a reverby heavy sound, his leads were felt before they were heard, a deft, stinging attack. The song arrangements were rich, dynamically versatile. The vocals are full and vibrant (especially when the whole band sings together), but not at the expense of the instrumentation. Everything is given equal importance.
Clara Nova
Second act Clara Nova took to the stage and immediately began plugging in wires and untangling cables. The duo were armed with two synthesizers, matching drum samplers, a guitar, a laptop, and half a drum kit, among other, more mysterious toys. Their sound is a delicate tonnage. It glides by effortlessly but the weight can crush you without a thought. Singer Sydney Waser has a compellingly rich voice, she reminded me of Florence Welch (minus The Machine, of course). Her voice soars over live made guitar loops and gentle synth oscillations, projecting lyrics like, "With all your tricks you could charm a snake but I could charm it's charmer." It could be danceable if the rhythms were a few shades more involved, but that would be too much. Their performance is an impressive sight — everything is just so, the switch from keys to drums for a few bars, the light touch of the guitar. Seeing them build intricate loops, it would be easy to miss a cue and throw the whole affair into disarray, but it never happens. It all led to the question, "Why haven't I heard of Clara Nova before?"
Kauf
Main act Kauf sounds spacey. His synthesizers and samples are supported by live drums and halfway through the show a bass too. The set is a sweet, glossy mix of 80's synths and punching rhythms. It's music you can dance to, and many people do. Kauf is Ronald Kaufman, who you can catch grinning in between songs. It adds a nice touch; his excitement translates to the crowd, and it humanizes the otherwise shadowy figure obscured by a fog machine and flashing lights. The acoustic instruments ground the airiness of the synthesizer sounds, provide a weighted impact. The trio lock in on a groove and work it for all it's worth and the crowd eats it up. At a break between songs someone shouts, "Why is this free?!" and the crowd laughs, Kauf too. This show feels like something you should be paying for. He's got serious fans in attendance, there are plenty of faces singing along to words the uninitiated couldn't pick out. It's an engaging experience, you're swallowed in a swirl of noise that prickles the skin as much as it tantalizes the ears. It feels like a dynamic ambience. It could pick you up and shake you to nothing, but instead it carries you gently into the celestial.
