With this incessant raining, I just want to snuggle up in my favorite black hoodie and massage my inner goth by curling up in a chair and reading about Wicca after lavishing myself in Sandalwood essential oil. Thank goddess, the show I attended Wednesday night at the Black Cat filled the void, and no candles were sacrificed.
The evening promised two talented electronic acts, Young Athlete’s League heavy on the ’80s italo, Com Truise, heavy on the ’80s video game beats and lastly, Active Child, heavy on the angelic melodramatics.
I was stupid and walked to the back while Active Child were setting up. By the time they appeared on stage, the place was jam packed so I could not really see them. I did notice a nice romantic bust of a lady adorning the stage.
Now, Active Child are not just typical bedroom produced indie-pop, oh no. Pat Grossi’s vocals are utterly earth shattering and mesmerizing. I regret the words that came out of my mouth prior to the show “I don’t know, it’s such bedroom music—I might be bored and leave early.” This did not happen.
I really don’t like almost breaking out in tears during a show, but Pat Grossi’s ghostly vocals have the same cinematic depth as Lisa Girrard’s or that of Zola Jesus. As a former choir boy, Pat’s falsetto could make even the darkest soul rejoice. His angelic voice is beautiful—even more so with the throbbing pulse of synths beneath it.
Live harp! This is nothing I’ve ever seen at a show. Four songs in and the epic R’nB tinged “Playing House” is gratified by the guy beside me who is swaying with eyes closed—we were all really feeling it.
Promoting their perfectly titled new album Galactic Melt, Com Truise are mind melting live due to the decision to use live drums over a drum machine. This creates a massive driving force of beats on which interesting samples and sounds are looped. Com Truise will inspire lovers of the driving repetition of Kraftwerk and Telex, heavy on instrumentation and similarly lacking live vocals.
I’m kinda proud of myself. As Com Truise started their set with “Sundripped,” a massive addition to the chillwave milleu, I immediately made a note in my notebook that this what was missing from the Tron Soundtrack. After the show, I discovered “Encom Part 2” remixed by Com Truise on Spotify. Yay for that!
You know, I felt really old at this show. Not only did I not see anyone I know, but the audience was half my age. Fuck that. And so, as I’m scribbling down some notes of this nature in my moleskine, I notice the merch guy keeps glancing my way. He’s writing some term paper or something on his computer. He eventually asks me why I’m taking notes, we chat, and he reveals he’s Com Truise’s manager.
As we’re chatting, he reveals he’s actually trying to get a sponsorship for Com Truise’s tour. Can someone help him out with that?
Now, heavy Italo is not by favorite, but Young Athlete’s League make the heavy beats and repetition somewhat interesting. Again, it’s weird with just one guy on stage and I am usually skeptical of this, but he is pulling it off because at least he has a bunch of instruments to manipulate.
He seems to be doing so in a klunky fashion though, often singing into a microphone with an effect pedal that is not turned on, or adding off kilter guitar riffs over electronic beats. Perhaps he’s having a bad night or someone cast a witchy spell on him. He is casting some magical beats from his laptop though. “Monaco Sunglasses” is a bit repetitive, but just enough so to get you moving.
The last song he played, forgive me, I don’t know its name, was a massive ’90s style dance jam smacking with a beat similar to CC Pensiton’s “Finally” that would pull tears of envy from Cut Copy’s eyes.
Photos: Alison Tremblay
