LTW newsletter 110

Warriors!

Can it really be 223 years since English poet William Congreve wrote that ‘Music soothes the savage beast’ in his 1697 play The Mourning Bride. Of course he didn't really write that at all as it is a misquote from the original line that he did write, ‘Musick has Charms to soothe a savage Breast’, but we sort of know what he means as we lose ourselves in the sonic soundtrack of the electric modern surrounded by the petulant chaos of modern life and the infernal shouting of the internet where, unlike music, no-one ever seems to listen.

These 17th century thoughts crossed my mind as I traversed the rotting carcass of the UK this week observing a nation held together by tension and string to conduct an in conversation with Immersion for the launch of their startling and brilliant second album in their home town of Brighton. The project the project of post punk musical architects Colin Newman (Wire) and Malka Spigel (Minimal Compact) and Matt Schulz (Holy F*ck, Savak & Lake Ruth), Immersion have reacted to a world gone mad with a startling album that combines the adventure of post punk to the possibilities of electronic.

‘But what other music have you been listening to this week Louder Than War!’ I hear you cry, and as ever, it's a diverse selection of musical shards and snippets collated and collected by our team. 

Emerging from their Fife fiefdom at the turn of the millennium, The Beta Band won many friends with their addictive wonky wig outs that were championed by many of their contemporaries like Oasis and Radiohead. They were deffo a band that shoulda coulda woulda but somehow ended up being a bunch of cults. After a long lay off they have reemerged for a series of shows and their magic is still very apparent like at London’s Roundhouse. 

Ani Glass has released her new album, Phantasmagoria  which sees the award winning  Cardiff based artist on an inventive journey through her atmospheric synth-pop sound, bringing beautiful melodic, experimental musical ideas.

Arguably and, perhaps after the Beatles, Kraftwerk are the most influential band of all time and the last remaining remnants of the Teutonic electronic gang have announced a rare UK tour. Even in their dotage, they feel somewhat futuristic and even if they are far from their early seventies impact when they fittingly first entered our world by appearing on science programme Tomorrow's World instead of the more traditional Top Of the Pops route, they still weave a spell of fascination. 

The new sound of young Scotland sees the Glasgow-based duo, The Cords, winning many friends with their lo-fi guitar and drums tunes and bristling energy that has been electrifying and intense small venues on their current breakout tour. https://louderthanwar.com/the-cords-kamera-chorlton-live-review/ (Abre numa nova janela)

Sometimes at LTW we get to do posh as well and in the regal and iconic surroundings of the 150 year old South Kensington Albert Hall we celebrated Norwegian Agnes Obel bringing an air of refinement befitting the special occasion and grandeur of the venue.

The mood is dark, immersive, and thrillingly alive - just the way we like it for L.A. Witch at Leeds live venue classic Brudenell Social Club. The room, packed with old fans and new devotees, is drawn tight with anticipation and released in a wave of collective joy as each chorus lands.