EIF: Niteworks
Leith Theatre - 28/08/22
The little overture to Niteworks’ set called to mind the work of Terry Riley, an early adopter of electronic instruments who composed pieces such as ‘In C’ and ‘A Rainbow in Curved Air’, both of which still stand up today. Unfortunately, the playfulness, texture and nuance of Riley’s work was little in evidence as the Skye four-piece’s set unfolded. While this might not have been an issue for a gig that was heavily oriented towards the dance floor, for those in the audience who were looking for something other than a pulse to move to the evening was something of a disappointment.
One of the challenges of electronic music is the lack of something to look at other than shadowy techies hunched over their machines, and Niteworks compensated for this with a light show that pulled out all the stops. However, the stops were pulled out right from the first minute, as if the lighting technician had pressed every button at once (and kept them pressed). There was plenty of light but little in the way of shade. The music itself followed the same pattern, with a bludgeoning bass end dominating every piece. ‘Puirt a beul’ (mouth music) from the Gaelic vocal trio, Sian, and a song from the smoky alto of Ellen MacDonald were alike crushed beneath the heavy armour attack. The other guest vocalist, Beth Malcolm, fared little better, with Robert Tannahill’s ‘Gloomy Winter’s Noo Awa’ and a ballad later in the set rendered unintelligible under the sonic assault. The band were joined at various points by the fiddle players from the Kinnaris Quintet who were largely inaudible as the pile-driver continued its relentless progress.
Kinnaris’ Fiona MacAskill and Niteworks piper, Allan MacDonald, brandished real instruments at various points, which gave the welcome hint of a different texture. At one point a number in 6/8 time emerged and one felt a ripple of relief running round the auditorium. It wasn’t long, however, before the bulldozer was up and running again.
The band is to be commended for their insistence that they draw on Gaelic, not to make any particular point, but because the language and electronic dance music were simply part of the culture that shaped them. On the whole, however, the evening felt like an unsatisfactory encounter between Kraftwerk and croft work.
Cover photo: Andrew Perry