EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY can instil a new belief in that musicianship is still significant enough a factor to be in a band.
The fundamental dynamic of a drummer, bassist and dual guitarist is one that has given us the groundbreaking, the mediocre and the sublime in almost equal measure. Without sparking a furious debate on the merits of instrumentals, EITS flawlessly create soundtracks. Whether it be to a broken or aching heart, they tenderly tug on the strings before thunderously tearing them apart and the resulting sound is nothing short of sensational.
Adhering to the basic build it up, tear it down formula cherished by Mogwai et al, as a live entity Explosions in the Sky are reminiscent of Deftones superlative ability to create a flood of sound. Tonight there are no vocals, apart from the shyest of interludes from guitarist Munaf Rayani, but it honestly doesn't matter. To say they revel in what they create would be an understatement.
Despite a particularly nervy entrance it's not long before guitarists Mark and Munaf and bassist Michael James are kneeling in moments of calm reflection before hurtling themselves around stage in a frenzy of beating their instruments into submission to a crescendo of booming drums, rumbling bass and deftly powerful guitar.
Their credit on the Friday Night Lights soundtrack enforces the idea that they purely make film music, but a band who aspire to make music as sonically glorious as this deserve to be applauded, appreciated and admired and are artists in every true sense of the word.
Kieran Hebden (aka FOUR TET) is a pretty unassuming character. Billed as 'one of the most beautiful people to walk the earth' by Munaf of Explosions in the Sky is certainly another feather to the cap.
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After a monumental show from EITS, Hebden wastes no time in scuttling into some heavy going electronica. Spasmically orienteering his way around his personal electric matrix, it's more suited to a troublesome modem and is quite a come down after the previous set. Still the amount of fist pumping and limb deficiency is testament that he's definitely doing something right. In fits and starts growling bass and a personal army of electro gremlins assume control even if it is a little disconcerting trying to find some rhythm.
It might be a calculated attempt to distance himself from the 'folktronica' tag earned from second album 'Rounds' but it's nigh on impossible to pigeon hole someone who flails copiously between free form jazz, hip hop and avant garde electronica. It's a set so aggressively disjointed that any familiar beat managing to cleave it's way through the deformation is greeted like a Harold Bishop return to Neighbours.
Perhaps you shouldn't have to work this hard for your dance music, but like Aphex Twin, Four Tet enjoy taking the scenic
route even if it is off road. The darker, edgier and closer to the cliff edge the better.
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