The main stage at Whelan’s was as quiet as a library on Tuesday night, such is the reverence these three musicians inspire even individually. So much so that the prospect of seeing them play together almost seemed fake, like some kind of outlandish music nerd wet dream, and no one dared to make a sound for fear of piercing the reverie. When the searing blast of hard guitar scrabble and manic percussion exploded from the speakers it shattered the barrier of space and drew the almost fearful crowd in towards the stage, but that sense of awe and wonder remained constant throughout the performance.
To understand why, even just a cursory glance at the discographies of the musicians involved will reveal a pedigree almost unrivalled in independent psych/jazz/folk/exploration. Chris Corsano, the drummer, is jaw dropping. He is like an octopus on meth. Except a smart octopus who went to college, so he doesn’t hammer out drooling music-store drum solos but anchors the music with a continuous stream of vibrant, creative free percussion. Ben Chasny, guitarist number one, is the man behind Six Organs of Admittance, the excellent long-running psych/folk project, and provides most of the rolling melodic foundation when he’s not participating on one of the band’s detours into an extreme tear-out. And Sir Richard Bishop, guitarist number two, has been a towering figure in the American underground for over two decades with his band Sun City Girls and as a global music chronicler with the label Sublime Frequencies. Together they are Rangda, and despite simply replicating their debut album track for track it was a privilege and an experience to witness such incredible musicians playing such powerful music.
The music is entirely instrumental, and highly evocative. There are the aforementioned musical spasms but the main focus is long form guitar journeys, extended, breathing pieces with winding and probing solos. It sounds sun-baked and grim, like a man resigned to his fate and walking purposefully towards his death. It’s highly visual music (it has to be, with no vocal narrative) and causes the imagination to run wild with fantastical images and scenarios of lawless plains and spiritual journeys. It’s a testament to their skill that the songs hold attention and resist meandering and directionless noodling, and each piece remains focused and purposeful. Despite the predictability hearing and seeing the musicians performing live was a different from the studio album altogether and a highly unique and enjoyable experience, a wonderful, compact performance.
This gig was a special treat, a gift-wrapped present, especially for an Irish music scene not normally big enough to plumb the depths of obscurity which these musicians occupy. Which is why the knowing few in the audience felt so privileged to receive it.
Marcus O’Sullivan
