Casiotone for the Painfully Alone live
Some fans may have sat through the support acts for Casiotone for the Painfully Alone’s London gig in March with nervous anticipation. The first on, Dutch eccentric Harry Merry, would perhaps fair better playing to a psychiatric ward than London’s more discerning crowd, letting rip with a carnival-esque frenzy on the keyboard matched by the most obscure of lyrical accompaniments. Don’t answer his offers for childrens parties. Next up, a.P.A.t.T — reminiscent of Animal Collective on a speed binge in outer space — were generally more convincing, and tuned the crowd back in to the purpose of the evening: intelligent, yet witty, music. The one thing all acts had in common was the emphasis on lo-fi keyboard accompaniment, and the man now pushing this from the extremities of leftfield to the borders of the mainstream delivered just the type of set you’d expect: intimate, stripped-down and low key. Casiotone is a master of the minimal — rarely do songs exceed two minutes and there is no complex narrative in his music. It’s as if he picks a random part of an everyday conversation and puts equally austere backing to it, endearing the crowd to his live performances because each track is just so accessible.
Tagged: , Animal Collective, London, London gigs
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