Music / Review
Review: Dau & Tina Hitchens, Friendly Records – ‘Another wonderful, innovative night on North Street’
‘This is intense’ ponders Dau’s Phil Self as he faces the dark, intimate, and tightly packed room at Friendly Records.
Promoter Benny Dart has another treat in store in his series of lovely chamber sessions featuring organic music from all over the place that are now winning a regular and loyal audience.
This session has a strong ambient flavour, with hints of English folk, improvisation and classical minimalism.
Bristol’s Tina Hitchens opens with a textured and earthy flute suite. It’s all about the breath as she summons an extraordinary range of tones and moods from her instrument.
It’s a real joy to be so close in this setting to hear the mechanics of the instrument and she summons images of the natural world for the silently contemplative audience and Hitchens’ immersive performance is warmly received.
Dau is a new project for Phil Self, tonight ably joined by local cellist James Gow. The debut recording Zed Zed, which provides most of tonight’s set, has been created entirely from acoustic instrumentation.
Unusually for a modern ambient recording computer processing is given a wide berth. This delivers a real warmth, a sense of place and a pastoral tone that pervades throughout.
Death of Smut is inspired by a sad tale from a Peter Greenaway film. Phil’s harmonium provides an achingly mournful drone that is supported by James’ cello playing a higher line. It has a real longing to it as the mighty harmonium fills the small space with its resonant sound. The audience is left audibly moved.
Greenaway gets another nod on Hangman’s Cricket. The acoustic cello takes more of a lead here soaring over the harmonium. It’s a shorter piece that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome with converging melodic lines leaving a sense of stillness.
They close with Die Gestalt, a spacier mood led by Phil’s bowed guitar supported by James on a second harmonium. This leaves us with a more unsettling farewell but again beautifully crafted, evocative of place and time.
The small crowd absolutely loved them. Eyes were often closed as they lent into this often gentle, introspective music. Another wonderful, innovative musical night on North Street.
Main photo: Sara Gwynn
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