Tim Hecker / Oneohtrix Point Never - Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (11/16/13) concert review

Liquid Music Schedule 01/12/14 Hilary Hahn and Hauschk: Silfra 02/13/14 Olga Bell: Origin/Outcome 02/14/14-05/11/14 S/S/S 03/21/14 Timo Andres: Work Songs 03/22/14 Timo Andres: Work Songs 05/06/14 Daniel Bjarnas and Nadia Sirota 06/03/14 Ethel: Documerica Read More SPCO Liquid Music The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music series is in its second season. The program was designed to expand the world of classical music through unique presentation formats. … How appropriate it was that Saturday night’s concert at the McGuire Theater in the Walker Art Center was co-presented with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Liquid Music Series, as “liquid music” was one of the most apt definitions of the soundscapes emanating from electronic artists, Tim Hecker and Oneohtrix Point Never. The SPCO’s Liquid Music Series, now in its second season, has a mission statement to “expand the world of classical music through innovative new projects, boundary-defying artists, and unique presentation formats”, and that’s exactly what it did during the two artists’ 45 min. each, separate performances. For the early show, Hecker went on first followed by Oneohtrix Point Never and for the late show (that we attended) the order was reversed, which turned out to be very suitable, given the late show time. Oneohtrix Point Never (aka Daniel Lopatin) is a Brooklyn-based ambient minimalist who was joined on stage by visual artist Nate Boyce, supplementing the audio with his CGI animation works, originally shown in the Museum of Modern Art in 2011. The images were of forms, shapes and text; both everyday and unknown, rotating, melting, and morphing into others, while Lopatin manipulated “found sounds” and staccato samples concocted into a merged palette that was both simultaneously cold and pristine, and warm and familiar. Boyce, in dark clothing, planted on the left of the stage, with the dimmed light of his laptop screen the only thing making his profile evident as he kept one eye on the big screen. Lopatin was surrounded by machinery on the right also in near darkness, with only a single light near his controls and small random red bulbs glowing from his equipment. Promoting his latest, R Plus Seven (on Warp Records), Lopatin’s style was the more accessible of the two; chilled and at times symphonic and chamber-like, similar to Autechre, or some of Daft Punk’s soundtrack for Tron: Legacy. Following a short break, Tim Hecker’s show was prefaced by a hazy rolling fog introduced into the entire room, courtesy of the smoke machines on stage. Hecker’s set left all the visuals to one’s imagination as he played center stage in complete darkness—so much so, I wondered how he could even see the knobs on his own equipment. Based in Montreal, Hecker leaned heavily on his latest, Virgins (on Kranky) with layered, immersive static sounds of foreboding that sounded more metropolitan in nature (i.e. the bustle of hurried lives in the city), echoing and slowly building into a church sounding apocalyptic denouement. Both seemed purposely vague as to the exact interpretations of their works, but that is also part of what successful art accomplishes—the ability to seed a thought or an idea with visuals, sounds, or another medium, to prompt a response or an emotion as a result. the most quiet and respectful crowd I’ve been a part of… maybe ever The crowd for the late show, mostly younger art/music indie-types and older Walker regulars, was the most quiet and respectful crowd I’ve been a part of… maybe ever – in complete silence for both acts and reverent of the work being presented to them (oh, where were you for the recent Mazzy Star and James Blake shows?!). This was not only most appreciated by everyone, but left no errant distractions and put the focus solely on the performances, which is how more shows should be. The SPCO Liquid Music Series continues with six more performances in this 9-concert season and is definitely worth investigating for their varied genres of ‘outside the box’ musical performers that will no doubt have you widening your awareness and boundaries of definition-challenging music. john ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ pointnever.com ♥ sunblind.net