https://www.nofitstate.org/
https://clydachelectronics.bigcartel.com
https://pamrosecott.bandcamp.com
https://linktr.ee/y_gwacter
https://slowmurder.bandcamp.com/music
https://svartvit.bandcamp.com/music
https://paleworld.bandcamp.com/music
No fit state is an old church that is now used for community circus, workshops and classes. It was a beautiful venue to look at. The evening was organised and promoted by local label Clydach Electronics.
Pam Rose Cott opened the show, the set began with wailing into a microphone and rubbing another one into a cloth. The set built up into screaming into different microphones and intensified with some noise backing her up into an immense display of very upset, vocal noise. She ended the set in the middle of the crowd, wailing and screaming without any amplification. I was locked into the directness and strength of what she did. Anyone who can do a set largely from their voice backed by minimal electronics and a bell deserves kudos. Pam Rose Cott was a very strong opener.
I shook Ordeal by Roses hand as I noticed them at the end of her set. I later spoke to them and that meant a lot to me.
Pale World & Y Gwacter. This is a combined set of Pale world and Y Gwacter. She is a painter who paints on canvas which is connected to contact microphones that run through Pale World's set up. I had seen both of them do a set in Nottingham a month before and was impressed to watch someone paint and noise be made from it was great to see and hear. The set started with noise from the live painting sourced into Pale World's set up as she became more animated, he did and the noise exploded into a mass of distortion. What I liked is I was hearing drones underneath it all that I hadn't last time they played live together. As the painting took form, the noise took more form as outside sources like chain boxes were used. It was a visually and sonically strong set. Pale World has always been impressive to see live, this duo has added a new dimension to the work. There was also a finished artwork to see at the end of the set- a black and white semi abstract landscape that was dark and menacing. The new tape Torsion on Venalism is well worth your listening time.
Slow Murder. I'd seen this project about a year ago in Nottingham and been seriously impressed as I have reviewed the project's releases a lot on the blog over the years. The latest album Deserving has made a huge impression on me. This show was short and sharp, possibly around 15 minutes there was deep drones, rumbling electronics and a lot of shouting overlaying into the work. This set blew me away more as it was short in length and when he shouted without a microphone at the end it was just as loud as with a mic, which was impressive. This was everything that I travelled here for. I needed some fresh air so I went off for a short walk around Cardiff after. This set was an intense experience that will live with me forever. Just this alone was worth the three hour drive to Cardiff.
Cariad (means love in Welsh) kept the bar high when I thought that would be impossible after Slow Murder. When I walked in some circus like music was playing which developed into mournful keyboard sounds layered under his vocals when they started and these sounds remained prominent throughout the entire performance. The space in the venue had cleared as finished performers had moved their stuff out of the way so he was using the space to move around a lot, yell and shake an amped up chain. He got right up in the audiences space and the set worked brilliantly. I liked this act a lot.
Svartvit - his sound was immediately haunted in overtones, it followed on well from the ghostlier aspects of Cariad. He shouted into a Walkman like device, he disappeared and came back as the noise went off alone. When he returned, he used smaller sounds that were able to interact with each other. Slight shuffling sounds creaked and cracked as contact microphones were played with. I liked how he used drones and smaller noises to work his sound it stayed in a zone where it wasn't overpowering for long periods of time. Sounds were given space to work around each other, combine and play off each one another. Gutteral shouting eventually came into the work. The haunted qualities of his work really came back as the sounds resonated for long periods of time after the shouting and there were impressive subtle interactions happening. When his shouting came back, it was through distortion as the grief ridden noise played out underneath. This guy was excellent at putting different levels of space into his work. As he did this the work began to pulsate and push against the space as it expanded. Bigger feedback, screaming into contact mics in mouth and feedback was an intense listen. Ultimately, the work was bleak, blackened, brilliant and beautifully sophisticated and sounded unlike anything I had ever heard before. An amazing finale to a night of much greatness.
I drove home listening to Slow Murder. Because tonight was a perfect night. I am now aware that there is a whole movement of South Wales Electronics going on which I have only began to touch on. Excellent.
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