Circle of Live @ Village Underground, London - 02/02/19

Published on 2019-03-08 00:00:00 by Harry Wootten

I was indubitably lucky to witness the first-ever performance of Circle of Live at Freerotation 2018, so I was already acutely aware of the project’s organic wizardry. The six hours of collaborative spontaneity were a highlight of the festival season, acting as the perfect end to another stunning Freero. The initial performance included Dorisburg and Johanna Knutsson, though these two were not part of the show at Village Underground.\

The very essence of the performance is a machination of improvisation. As the members of CoL change for each performance, they also come and go throughout the set. There is no forced input; every sound is a thoughtful idea envisaged and set forth on the spot. With Sebastian Mullaert leading the ebb and flow of musical entropy, you cannot help but feel both comfortable and assertive. Nothing is wrong, and everything is permitted; the abstract open-endedness acts as a staunch reminder of the oft-mundane habitual order in dance music. Electronic music is nothing without its idiosyncrasies and imperfections.\

From the moment Mullaert began, the true emotion and inexorable force of machine love each member exuded were utterly palpable. Focusing initially on innovative ambience at a dawdling BPM, Steevio once again coaxed his ever-recognisable signature sound into the VU atmosphere, the acoustics intensifying each layer of his organic, unscripted modular synth work. As spine-chilling sounds reverberated intensely around the venue, unscripted drum patterns began to filter in gradually, providing a base for all the foot-tappers present. As the BPM rose and the chords grew more erratic and disparate, the reticent power became apparent to all. Glancing at my friends—or even adjacent punters sharing the same transcendent experience—all I saw were smiling faces radiating pure elation. The artistic synergy on stage affected everyone present simultaneously yet uniquely, just as it had at Freerotation. An entire crowd fused together, directly moved by the freeform relationship of musical emotion.\

Mathew Jonson arrived well into the performance but immediately wove his incomparable live energy into the progressive freeform composition. Since the musicians are encouraged to interject and withdraw at will, the best way to experience it as a punter is to adopt a similar approach: sitting down, grabbing a drink, or stepping out for a smoke becomes key to surrendering to the performance’s fluidity. The rigidity of 4×4 dance sets can feel uncomfortably banal and limited; CoL is the total antithesis—more akin to a living artwork that demands contemplation to grasp the skill and magic conjured from thin air. Each cataclysmic crescendo took its toll on the crowd, though not in an energy-sapping way. Instead, it instilled crystal-clear memories and euphoria.\

This project has something for every kind of music lover: the avid raver, the budding live musician, the aging composer, and the youthful, sonically inexperienced soul. Having now experienced this stunning improvised collaboration under subtly different conditions, I’m compelled to seek out their shows whenever possible. I can’t overstate the beauty these performances exude, regardless of location or lineup. Village Underground was an ideal setting, and if future shows maintain this standard, their reputation will only continue to soar.

Written by Harry Wootten