Whoa there Metal Wani readers, I know just what you’re thinking. That picture there is of a dude with a laptop- what is that doing on a metal site?! Well, you’re assuming right. The music of this gig is very electronic. But it’s okay. Not only is this music rife with darkness and Satanism; the Parisian creator, James Kent, has a strong background of black metal.
Perturbator is the biggest name in the new wave of 80’s retro revival descending upon grateful, eclectic crowds, even playing at Nidrosian Black Mass in Finland, alongside black metal giants such as Bölzer, Archgoat and Sinmara. This artist’s musical 8-BIT barrage draws influences from 80’s cyberpunk films such as The Terminator and Akira, and he has tracks in Hotline Miami. I’m painting a picture which I am almost certain is indulging a fantastical center of yourself… go on, give it a try. The music is heavy. And glorious.
The sold out show at The Underworld, Camden UK, drew an excited crowd of goths, industrial fans, electronic music fans, films enthusiasts, and a lot of metalheads, too. One metal fan even posted in the Facebook page “I’m technically allowed to this, right?” Loads of people chimed in; definitely, yes. Opening the show was the enigmatic 7 piece act Raveyards. This band appeal to me strongly as I love industrial music. That many musicians was never going to fit on the stage; they spilled out onto the floor divided and shrouded by mesh screens which picked up abstract light projections from multiple angles. The resulting aesthetic complimented their atmospheric industrial groove perfectly, and it was a beautiful, rich set. If you’re one of the metal fans who also loves intense progressive industrial sounds such as later Massive Attack, they’re a real treat.
Dan Terminus threw us into a relentless set of progressive cyber soundtrack music; you could see the car chases, long exposure footage of city lights, explosions, and heavy metal studs on leather unfold before you. His style is even further into the 80’s homage than Perturbator and is one to fully fantasize to. Barely stopping to take a breath he sped us through his set, occasionally smiling and raising his arms triumphantly for the crescendos.
Perturbator’s later albums feature slower songs that are a throwback to 80’s love making scenes, but in contrast he chose heavier songs for this set; all the crowd pleasers. The atmosphere was more volatile than in his recordings; he was consistently dealing a fast, technoir madness, the only respite within his tension building intros. At the center of the stage he stood, quiet and brooding over his laptop, hood pulled up over his head and bathed in smoke and colored lighting strips. After his ritualistic audio assault, during which he barely engaged with the crowd, he ominously slipped away to massive applause. The sold out brutal technoir heaven in Camden’s Underworld fulfilled an excited crowds 80’s indulgence fantasies.
Note: Perturbator should return to London soon so if you missed out, be sure to catch him next time! Meanwhile here are the live pics of the evening.
