Night Angles
Video
about the gig
First to grace the stage were Cosmic Disco players Tim Eve and Laurence Horstman of Night Angles, showcasing their heady mix of "Cosmic Disco" or as they describe themselves "A world of dramatically echoing disco slices with influences stretching from around the galaxy converging in a big dish of eclectic cosmic goo". This description was not far off, if not entirely be-fitting. They started their set with the sole purpose of inducing an otherworldly atmosphere, with "Subtropical" being their choice for commencement. A super clean bass-line, deep and true underlaid a hollowed single stringed lead riff, in turn, leading in a resonating pulsating synth. Starting in this light broke in their sound eloquently, laying solid foundations for the rest of their performance.
"Royal Oak" was to follow, a track comprised of dominant sounds with subtle ethereal tones and 'New Order-esque' vocals. This was the right time to make their voices known and to utilise a song with fuller elements after being eased gently in. Tripled vocals in this track created a turnaround from desolate components to produce a warmer, more comforting tone.
Unnerving keys signalled what some might say as their best song, "Aerodynamour" heavy hitting bass gave cue to something spectacular. They appear to have mastered enticing build ups throughout their body of work. Their reverberations are certainly haunting at times, most notably here. They calm this though, understanding a 'party' atmosphere and bring in pulsating synth and driving out an 80's bass with zips and zaps darting in from every corner. They lay down the bass for something undeniably happy, leading the crowd into the main hook. There were elements in here that scream Talking Heads, solely through their vocals and an utterly unforgetable bass.
Waves of synth washed over the venue when "Dunes" kicked in. Bordering on tribal, or more so than the previous offerings, it put the mood well under way as more people flocked to catch a glimpse of these solar sound masters. Precise drumming and pitch bends evoked an unknown entity, rendering this a real "no bars held" tune.
Blending into "In The Walls", the crowd was in full swing, but not quite as much as when they played "Space Lines". This was one of their more hostile and dare we say agressive offerings, but by no means uncomfortable, holding complete command with bass riffs Whitest Boy Alive would kill for.
The end of their set was just the start of the night, and a mountains worth of kudos can be given to this innovative band. Leading the way for the rest of the evening, they kicked things up a gear with "Sphere", their most energetic contribution to the set. Accelerated across all levels with a constant barrage of rolling drums persuaded animated jives from every merrymaker. This really was a cranked up effort, but controlled in every sense. The crowd was wild, and beneath the calm exterior of Tim and Laurence, so was their music.
Biography
The journey of Night Angles (created by London-based photographer / musician Tim Eve and now including live collaborator Laurence Horstman) began in the dusty, earthy environments of record shops but always had the compelling lure of outer space and beyond. Growing up in the suburbs of London, Eve’s early explorations into music ran in tandem with his interest in photography. As early as was possible he sought to spend hours at a time in the long neglected school darkroom developing photographs accompanied by an eclectic selection of tapes ranging from The Smiths to the Beach
After working musically under different names (initially T-Tips and then Gegenschein) Night Angles was formed as a way to combine latter wide-reaching influences such as Bowie’s Berlin years, Vangelis and Chicago House label Trax. Claiming “never (to have) really been attached to one specific genre, so I wanted to do something that I could make work based on all the different influences I’ve had” the project has quickly developed into a sound all of it’s own, creating a futuristic soundtrack to a film not yet made. Using built in laptop mics and whatever technology was available, Night Angles sprawling dance floor fillers soon became greater than the sum of their parts.
Eve claims a ‘nostalgia for the future’ colours the music he makes and his photographer’s eye can be heard in the landscapes of their ‘space-age disco’.
Gaining a lot of attention for their debut EP ‘Aerodynamour’, released in 2011 on progressive Swedish label Force Majeure. The pop sensibilities of early Talking Heads combine with Kraftwerk’s uncompromising sound on the title track, whilst further tracks feel like a journey into the distant, yet familiar.
“..guttural bass and bubbling synth patterns mean this is no throwback house pastiche and instead is just one example of a release filled with musical excellence.” – from Juno Records review of ‘Aerodynamour’.
