Holy shit were they amazing. I haven't heard their new album OV yet, but from what I hear, they're playing it at all shows on this tour. Goddamn.

A lot of people I know were at the show to see the opener (a noise maker we all know) and didn't know the headliners, and certainly weren't expecting such a face slaying from Orthrelm and Zombi. You know that part in Aliens where Bishop (the cyborg) does the knife trick really fast with Hudson's hand? You know how Hudson starts screaming as Bishop goes faster? This show was like that.

In the past I have definitely been attracted to Orthrelm for their pure dedication and rediculousness, but at this show, or the way their music has changed slightly, I find them a much more... uh, valuable presence.

So many excellent parts played simultaneously! Hear guitar melody, then hear drum rhythm, then hear guitar rhythm--both fretboard notes and seperate pick click on string, then hear drum melody (tuned heads like a bass line.) Nonchalant. Their bodies know the parts. Fuck.
Salut, Orthrelm!

Anyone else see them?

I might be seeing them when they stroll through because Growing is opening up for them. Growing is also playing with Mogwai a week earlier but there's no need to go to that show.

I saw this band not quite a month ago at Wetlands.

I enjoy Riley/Tudor-style electronic minimalism, but my enjoyment is mitigated by the composer's ability to just key in the music and then perform it with the touch of a button. I don't usually get hung up on the processes or difficulties that led to a piece of art, but that's what makes the difference for me between OV and Rainbow of Curved Air or what have you. Orthrelm isn't about keying it in, it's about having a longhaired dude in baggy clothes shred on his SG nonstop for 40 minutes, and it's badass.

Christopher_Dragon wrote:Growing is also playing with Mogwai a week earlier but there's no need to go to that show.

I disagree. I'm going to see this show at the Cradle tonight and it's going to be awesome. Pending luck, I will interview Mogwai on WXYC before the show, increasing my excitement.

Get dog costumes wrote:I enjoy Riley/Tudor-style electronic minimalism, but my enjoyment is mitigated by the composer's ability to just key in the music and then perform it with the touch of a button. I don't usually get hung up on the processes or difficulties that led to a piece of art, but that's what makes the difference for me between OV and Rainbow of Curved Air or what have you. Orthrelm isn't about keying it in, it's about having a longhaired dude in baggy clothes shred on his SG nonstop for 40 minutes, and it's badass.

Hmm. I'm not sure agree. I don't think Poppy Nogood is actually playable 'live' so to speak (wasn't it all varispeeded tapes of saxes and drones ?). As for Rainbow in Curved Air (which I love), it's really 'just music', however it's executed. OV just seems to have an entirely different agenda. I like it in the same way I like Autechre - it's like all of the ideas are present all the time, only the emphasis changes - like walking round a sculpture - rather than a serial presentation. I also love the way it's sonically 'old school' - like 80s death metal or something.

Did they do another record with about 99 tracks on a 3" CD ? Or am I thinking about something else ?

Anyway, enjoy.

YO31 wrote:Did they do another record with about 99 tracks on a 3" CD ? Or am I thinking about something else ?

You're probably thinking of Octis, which is the guitar player's solo stuff. Just him and a drum machine. One of the things he put out was two pill shaped cd's, packaged as an album. Not sure if it's another 99er. Many songs though.

Orthrelm isn't about keying it in

supposedly there are edits on "ov."

I saw Orthrelm play in Sacramento, Italia maybe 2 years ago. The incredible amount of sound-information that they presented in the course of about 20 minutes made my brain shut down.

The drummer in my band saw Orthrelm, and their new minimalist direction, this past Monday night.

He tried to talk to me about it, but was unable to speak. Literally. He started stuttering and couldn't continue. I've never known him to do this before.

I have a feeling that our music might start sounding differently (in a good way) now.

They're playing here tonight, but we're going to watch Sicbay make with the rock in St. Paul instead.

Christopher_Dragon wrote:I might be seeing them when they stroll through because Growing is opening up for them.

See this, Christopher Dragon. Growing, not Mogwai, was the interview subject tonight, and they said they had/would (I don't remember which) play simultaneously with Orthrelm; Growing would play, Orthrelm would join in after a while, and then Growing would cut out and leave Orthrelm on stage.

hstencil wrote:

Orthrelm isn't about keying it in.

supposedly there are edits on "ov."

Now that you said that, maybe they didn't actually flawlessly shred and hit continuously for 40 minutes four feet in front of me. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but the guitarist sort of warped about half an inch to the right a few times during the show. The drummer too--he would freeze for a millisecond and then jerk back into action, his sticks having changed from woodtip to plastic tip instanteously and he was suddenly wearing a top hat. You could barely notice, but these things were definitely there. To think I fell for these well-worn studio shenanigans that night...humbling.

There are some places on OV where you can hear guitar "overdubs." Punch ins? I don't know what to call it. Listen to the parts where the guitar alternates between a chord and a fast high pitched phrase. The chords ring through. I remember them playing this part and it sounded differently. Better with the chords cut off.