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Due to a swap with another student, I was assistant concert manager on the 24th of May for 3b Pop Assessments in Studio One. I helped the assistant duty Tonmeisters in plugging in mics, which saved time. I located a missing keyboard sustain pedal from stores, which was crucial to the keyboardist’s performance and I also stepped in to perform cowbell for an act that was in need of an additional percussionist. The concert ran smoothly and in my downtime I worked on my composition coursework. I also visited the Studio 1 control room to raise morale amongst Tonmeisters and perform quality control on the recording. I concluded that the recording was very good and did not require my input. I also assisted the packing down after the concert, which allowed the Assistant Duty Tonmeister to go home a bit earlier, which he appreciated.

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I have been playing guitar and singing in a band called Sad-O-Meter, with 3 other first year Tonmeisters, since the start of the year. We’ve practised weekly whenever possible, or more than once a week in some cases to make up for lost time. We started out playing covers but have since begun writing original songs as a group, with more ambitious structures and technical playing. The style is closest to indie rock but we have begun working in more prog-rock and post-rock elements which has pushed our sound into a different and more interesting direction. We have recorded on sessions with a second year Tonmeister, playing a cover of Black Country New Road’s song Good Will Hunting accompanied by other musicians, and also recorded an original song with the same Tonmeister. We hope to perform live soon, as we can now have a short set's worth of songs we can play perfectly.  My guitar playing has improved a great deal from playing with this group, as it has forced me to compose and play more intricate parts than I normally would. I’ve also developed some very basic singing skills and learned techniques to sing and play simultaneously without messing up either task (something I used to struggle with). Attached is a video of us practising a work-in-progress song with a linear (and at time of recording, unknown) structure and an odd time signature.

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Review: George Clanton at the Colour Factory in Hackney Wick, London, 3rd of June 2023

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Review: George Clanton at the Colour Factory in Hackney Wick, London, 3rd of June 2023

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George Clanton is a unique figure in electronic music. Where much retro-leaning pop seeks to emulate the past, Clanton is one of very few to bring the timbres and textures of 80s and 90s electronica strikingly up to date, imbuing them with freshness, modernity, and heaps of emotion. Hot off the heels of 2 recent singles making waves on the internet and the indie charts, the 2nd night of his short European tour was a portrait of the artist at the top of his game.

Taking to the stage alone, his nervous humour is immediately apparent, joking with the audience about his jet-lag, his love of the British slang word “trollied” as an American, and his comically small guitar, before launching into 2018’s Livin’ Loose, an irresistible slice of chillwave and a firm fan favourite. Enthusiastically throwing himself around the small stage, Clanton’s demeanour changes immediately to that of a confident performer commanding the audience. He suddenly has a venue full of cultish fans in the palm of his hand, his silhouette writhing in front of the LED screen as he wails into the microphone.

Clanton’s confidence and audience engagement only grows throughout the night. By the anthemic, fuzzed-out Fucking Up My Life he’s letting his samplers run themselves and throwing himself gleefully at the audience, grabbing fans hands and rubbing them on his face, and even more bizarrely, as he revealed at the end of the track, getting “kissed on the eyeball”.

His last track before a generous encore was the powerful You Lost Me There, a cinematic synth ballad about saying goodbye. The enormity of his sound, texturally and emotionally, was most evident here, with Clanton stood precariously on the barrier supported by the front row of fans singing “If you come back again, we can convene and make it forever”, a line printed on some t-shirts worn by fans. Everyone sings it back at him.

His encore begins with a pair of tracks from his instrumental side project ESPRIT 空想, the latter of which, Aurora Summer (ESPRIT 空想 Remix), is pushed deep into drum and bass territory, with Clanton manipulating his samplers and mixers improvisationally and taking the concert to higher energy levels than any of the rest of the night. Having successfully turned the venue into a rave, he thanks the audience sincerely and begins the final song of the night, saving the best for last with Bleed, from his solo debut. Swirling synthesisers fill the song’s wordless chorus as he takes in the last of the night from the stage. He knows nobody will be forgetting that gig any time soon.

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Review: Maxim Lavrov and Grigorii Troinenko performing Grieg’s Violin Sonata No.3, Mvt.1, at the Chamber Music Competition, University of Surrey PATS Studio 1, 17th May

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Review: Maxim Lavrov and Grigorii Troinenko performing Grieg’s Violin Sonata No.3, Mvt.1, at the Chamber Music Competition, University of Surrey PATS Studio 1, 17th May

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On the 17th of May, the department was lucky enough to host a captivating performance of the first movement of Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 3, at the Chamber Music Competition in Studio 1. This performance stood out among a number of very high quality performances from ensembles of all shapes and sizes, due to the balance of accuracy and emotion in the rendition. Violinist Maxim Lavrov and Grigorii Troinenko executed a note-perfect rendition of the piece without sacrificing any of the fiery intensity typical of romantic music. Competition Judge Richard Saxel praised the performers interpretation, noting their careful balance between the icy austerity of much of Grieg’s music, representative of its Norwegian nationalist themes, and the emotive nature necessary for a complete and authentic performance of any Romantic period music.

The chemistry between Lavrov and Troinenko was evident of much practice, with the dialogue between their parts flowing seemingly effortlessly throughout the performance. The sense of cohesion within their performance showed a clear understanding of sonata form and its strengths, allowing them to create a clear narrative throughout the piece from beginning to end, remaining engaging throughout. The fact that the performance felt concise in spite of the piece’s 9 minute runtime is a testament to how engaging Lavrov and Troinenko are as performers. Lavrov moved beautifully while playing, showing the emotion of the piece on his face as well as through his movement and music. Troinenko played with equally as much passion and urgency, never overstepping the role of an accompanist while still commanding attention by the power and brilliance of his contribution to the performance.

It came as no surprise to me to discover at the end of the concert that Lavrov and Troinenko had won the event, despite tough competition from all of the other ensembles. I hope that this performance will be the first of many collaborations between the two musicians and I look forward to seeing what the pair perform in future.