Industrial, pulsating drone sweeps through the under belly of a dark boat. This aggressive, hypnotic sound builds quietly, maddeningly, elevating as the beats cycle. The spiralling waves of drone engulf the audience - in the wake of these grinding sounds my ribcage vibrates and my skin, like the white noise surrounding it, feels eerily soft as all its hairs stand on end. My ear drums are saved, earplugs forming an essential barrier between the fragile flesh and this Goliath-like wall of noise. Ben Frost is delivering a characteristically abrasive set.
Earlier this year Frost released A.U.R.O.R.A to wide critical acclaim, following up his 2009 release By The Throat. His atom-blasting blend of drone, drums, synthesisers and soundscapes has seen him collaborating with film-makers to write a number of soundtracks - Julia Leigh's Sleeping Beauty for one. His performance at Thekla in Bristol is part of a small and intense UK stint of a much wider European and North American tour.
As you read, it was a chilling and transcending experience - as long as you didn't focus too hard on the fact that there was low-to-no live input.
How to perform live must be a common dilemma for electronic musicians, although acts like Caribou have an incredibly energetic and physical live show, including two drum sets and reams of other percussive instruments (notably bells). But, in the case of Ben Frost, his delivery was so produced that it left little room for spontaneous alterations and exploration, and could leave you wondering: if he left the stage, would it make a difference? What he lacked in energy, his accompanying drummer came close to delivering, but overall the level of engagement between performer/music/audience was low.
It would be absurd to suggest that listening to Ben Frost's music could be anything other than a visceral, physical experience, especially considering the volume levels of his live show, however, it is the word live that might be put into question.
