Kiasmos @ Foxtel Melbourne Festival Hub
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Kiasmos @ Foxtel Melbourne Festival Hub

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Kiasmos’ self titled album carried a beauty to it. The result of Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen’s recorded work is dreamy and atmospheric, full of soft, evolving soundscapes that eventually become more intense as the album progresses. Piano and electronic drums tangle and darte in amongst each other in a game of sonic Twister – two very different sounds connected at the middle to create something greater than the sum of its parts. However, while these strengths translated perfectly on a recorded format – a realm where multiple takes and adjustments to errors can be made – it remained to be seen whether they could recreate or even expand on the feeling of the album in the face of a live and eager audience.

In the lead up to the show, the duo hinted at things to come with a cunning use of aesthetics. A mix of whirling clouds and angled shapes, shots of the moon, fog and other scenes complemented the night perfectly as they were projected against the back of the stage -creating a visual feeing similar to what the music was attempting to create. As these clouds rolled across the screen in haunting fashion, an ambient, airy hum started rising throughout the venue as the beginning of Lit started to play. The clicking of the drums fell into place behind the drawn out synth, and the hall transformed into a sea of shuffling bodies as the crowd began nodding in rhythm.

The night progressed on, a sea of soft claps, clicks and hits were spattered across the soothing synth and piano work. There was a shy joy from both the members as they worked the keys, once jumping to the front of the stage to express their gratitude to the packed out room on the other side of the world from their home. Their calls to the crowd seemed not boisterous but timid, and their attempts to hype everyone up came off as awkwardly endearing – the emptiness of the minimalist music in stark contrast to the fullness of their facial expressions. Track by track, the set seemed to unfold like fog on a moor, creating a feeling of being lost in a forest as the stunning piano segments linked up to the techno in an exquisite, evolving form. Despite not needing to amass beats or beeps in the thousands, there was still a strong sense of enjoyment coursing through the crowd – movement remaining ever prominent, even in the quieter sections.

In some ways the show didn’t retain the flow of the album, yet in a live environment where the emphasis is on crowd involvement and the issue of time constraints loom overhead, it was more than excusable and barely changed a thing. Tracks such as Thrown and especially Bent truly captured the techno and classical strengths of Kiasmos, and with such impressive visuals coursing in the background, the night was more of an experience than anyone could have expected.

BY THOMAS BRAND

By David Harris

Loved: Looped.

Hated: That I went to the 9pm show when all my buds were at 11pm. Naw.

Drank: Moon shadow.