Venus Hum - Mechanics & Mathematics Live - Part 1
Venus Hum - Mechanics & Mathematics Live - Part 2
It’s hard to review a concert DVD. I mean, it’s a concert. A DVD is just going to remove one of the most important elements of a live music show; the shared experience of partaking in a musical event. Even the best concert DVD’s (for the best, watch Blur’s “No Distance Left To Run”) lack that certain something. You can see the crowd, you can hear them, but where’s the delinquent tosser swinging his pint around, arms flailing? Where’s the obscured view? Where’s the aching back, nurtured through hours of standing up and not moving very much? Hmmmmm… maybe the DVD is a better option after all?
Venus Hum have been around for 10 years or so. Comprising of Annette Strean, Kip Kubin and Tony Miracle this little trio might not be that well known to you, especially outside of the US. You might have seen them if you ever saw the Blue Man Group live, as they supported and played with them on their Complex tour. But they pretty much sit under the radar. But that has never stopped them consistently producing some of the finest, melodic and interesting electronica to have ever come out of the US. Which is surprising for an act hailing from Nashville, TN, the home of country & western.
So, the DVD. Well, this is no ordinary concert DVD. As in, it’s not an amalgam of a few shows from a long running sell out tour. This is a film of a one off gig, played at a small, intimate venue in Cincinnati, OH called The Monastery, an old church converted into a recording studio and performance space. A small crowd and a close, intimate experience for those attending. The first 20 minutes or so are dedicated to a short interview with the band, interspersed with snippets of footage from rehearsals.
The rest of the DVD is the show and a lovely event it is. Most of the “Mechanics & Mathematics” album is covered along with tracks from their previous long players. From a synth geeks perspective, there’s not as much synth geekery to take in, save for an ARP 2600, Roland System 100m, a Space Echo and some other random bits and bobs. This is a heavily laptop based show with some rear projections going on. Tony Miracle seems more than happy with his very old Evolution MK149. Mine now languishes in the loft. But this is all a blessing. Why? Well, for once you can concentrate on the music. There’s no flashy technology going on here. It’s two guys, Ableton Live (and Logic, I think), and the amazing vocals of Annette, seen here sporting a rather school mistress-y look which is quite a contrast to her previous guises. She’s still hot though!
This is a lovely DVD of a great little gig, the intimacy of which is superbly conveyed by the camera work. The music “does the talking”, the projections mere frilly, but effective edging. For once, a live DVD that’s more about the music than anything else. The band’s desire was to get their live act noticed by many more people. This DVD does that job perfectly. Stay tuned after the credits for an excellent impromptu and completely unrehearsed version of “Alice”. No sequencing, just guitar, keys and a soaring vocal. Quite exquisite. From: https://www.failedmuso.com/venus-hum-mechanics-mathematics-a-concert-film-by-neil-smith/
Venus Hum have been around for 10 years or so. Comprising of Annette Strean, Kip Kubin and Tony Miracle this little trio might not be that well known to you, especially outside of the US. You might have seen them if you ever saw the Blue Man Group live, as they supported and played with them on their Complex tour. But they pretty much sit under the radar. But that has never stopped them consistently producing some of the finest, melodic and interesting electronica to have ever come out of the US. Which is surprising for an act hailing from Nashville, TN, the home of country & western.
So, the DVD. Well, this is no ordinary concert DVD. As in, it’s not an amalgam of a few shows from a long running sell out tour. This is a film of a one off gig, played at a small, intimate venue in Cincinnati, OH called The Monastery, an old church converted into a recording studio and performance space. A small crowd and a close, intimate experience for those attending. The first 20 minutes or so are dedicated to a short interview with the band, interspersed with snippets of footage from rehearsals.
The rest of the DVD is the show and a lovely event it is. Most of the “Mechanics & Mathematics” album is covered along with tracks from their previous long players. From a synth geeks perspective, there’s not as much synth geekery to take in, save for an ARP 2600, Roland System 100m, a Space Echo and some other random bits and bobs. This is a heavily laptop based show with some rear projections going on. Tony Miracle seems more than happy with his very old Evolution MK149. Mine now languishes in the loft. But this is all a blessing. Why? Well, for once you can concentrate on the music. There’s no flashy technology going on here. It’s two guys, Ableton Live (and Logic, I think), and the amazing vocals of Annette, seen here sporting a rather school mistress-y look which is quite a contrast to her previous guises. She’s still hot though!
This is a lovely DVD of a great little gig, the intimacy of which is superbly conveyed by the camera work. The music “does the talking”, the projections mere frilly, but effective edging. For once, a live DVD that’s more about the music than anything else. The band’s desire was to get their live act noticed by many more people. This DVD does that job perfectly. Stay tuned after the credits for an excellent impromptu and completely unrehearsed version of “Alice”. No sequencing, just guitar, keys and a soaring vocal. Quite exquisite. From: https://www.failedmuso.com/venus-hum-mechanics-mathematics-a-concert-film-by-neil-smith/
