– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER –
Almost exactly a year ago I saw electronic musician Mmoths (Jack Colleran) play in the small, dark, hidden backstreet venue that is the Kraak Gallery. The progress that he’s made over the past 12 months now affords him a climb onto the next rung of Manchester’s trendy venue ladder.
In 2012, still just 17, he quietly went about his business on stage, looking rather lonely with his laptop and Maschine, skilfully triggering his arsenal of samples as practiced with, I’d imagine, an obsessive compulsion and passion. While his sounds and compositions were interesting, clinical and current enough to draw a decent crowd of the right people that night, something seemed missing. I think it was oompf.
Flying Lotus has commented favourably in Jack’s direction, and Holly Miranda has donated her vocal chords to his latest offering. A live bassist and drummer are with him tonight – a very welcome and wise addition.
Jack toys with the reverb, speeds up, slows down, phase shifts, chops up, isolates, loops, stutters and tweeks. It is cityscape cinematic glitch electronica, along the lines of Burial and Purity Ring, but with less emphasis on a beat, which generally consists of a muffled and understated ground shaking deep throbbing pulse.
The crowd are largely motionless and transfixed – this sonic, atmospheric journey conjures visuals in your mind, and forces you to become hypnotised under the spell of beautifully disguised mathematical twists and turns… although there is one dancer. The set gets progressively more interesting and peaks with the penultimate tune ‘All These Things’. The sharp, rotational distorted music box sound grabs you from the start and smacks of an instant hit. All that’s missing is a live vocal.The bassist and drummer are let loose here, making the live experience noticeably more thrilling and involving.
He ends alone onstage with ‘Heart’ feat. sampled vocals from ‘Keep Shelley In Athens’. A warm and optimistic songs, though still dark in nature and intelligently minimal.
At this rate, no doubt, in a years time or maybe less he’ll be at The Deaf Institute with guest vocalists (if he wants), having honed his live show and added to his discography with further collaborations and remixes. A bouncing, solo live rendition along the lines of ‘Folding’ would be great to witness, also. Jack Colleran’s progress should give hope to anyone with a laptop, a £500 beatbox, and oodles of talent.
I like to go see fresh new music at Manchester's superb selection of smaller venues, and then share my enthusiasm.
