Kinetik Fest Phase 2 recap

[DJ Saint]

Phase 2 got off to a later start despite posted times. Openers Left Side Neighbor scheduled to go on at 4pm didn't go on until after 5:15. This left plenty of time to socialize - which for me included shots with my pals from TERRORFAKT, the NYC noise DJ's I've known for years and the guys from Fabrik C. The Fabrik C guys were very curious about Detroit when I mentioned that's where I was from.

Other hellos were said to Erica (Unter Null), Dirk Ivens (again- LOL), Jimmy Machon (Lights of Euphoria), Dave Heckman (Owner Metropolis Records), Brian and DJ EYE-G from Gothsicles and probably a few others I am forgetting. Quite the long night.

Onto the bands:

Left Side Neighbor - Were right into there first song when the crowd was finally let in. 3 person band with 2 people on synths/effects and a trap kit drummer. There sound blends the hardened edges of guitar industrial without really using the guitar as a key element and combine this with a bit of punk flair. Nice stuff. I think they are a rather young band having been around just a short stint, but tons of potential for sure.

Gothsicles - what can one say about Gothiscles?! If you've seen them you know how comical this electro-industrial band can be. They just ripped the place up and had the crowd dancing and laughing. Some were even laughing so hard they had to stop dancing There accompanying video is hysterical. There set was just plain fun and they got the crowd VERY amped up and ready to go.

Alter Der Ruine - VERY curious to see this band after they sadly had to cancel their Detroit show a few years back. These guys do a variety of stuff from straight up noise bangers to funky teachno to dirty electro. The 2 synth players came out playing smaller synths rigged to boards with effects pedals and effects - almost creating their own keytars. Very cool to see and it provided the band members the opportunity to thrash around on stage versus being confined behind a synth stand. The drummer just pounded through every track as well. Excellent set that showed the musical diversity this band can bring forth and there was even a COWBELL!!!!

Left Spine Down - I don't recall much of Left Spine Downs performance sadly. I believe I was outside talking and I might have had a drink or 3!

Chemlab - Not so much my thing any more but these guys unleashed a cock-rock spectacle for Montreal. Jared looks really the worse for wear, living that young rock star life is showing off especially when he was celebrating his 50th b-day on stage tonight (I'm 50.. I like to kick, and strecth and kick!). His backing band rocked through tracks like "Chemical Halo", "Codeine, Glue and You", the opener "Suicide Jag", "Summer of Hate" and more. Jared pranced around stage with feather boa and cowboy hat - at one point taking old disco records and smashing them or passing them out to the crowd. he did the same with a bouquet of flowers too. A rambunctious display of gutter-tech industrial.

16 Volt - Another band from back in the day I used to really enjoy but haven't paid much if any attention to in recent years. The first couple of CD's were the perfect blend of electronics and guitars, whereas the more recent CDs and tonights performance focus on the guitars a LOT. Nothing wrong with guitars per se but they drowned out whatever electronics were to be heard. Couldn't help thinking that there performance reminded me of any number of guitar driven nu-metal bands (you know the ones that play at Machine Shop and have bad tribal tats) that are all about a display of power, power chords and how many power drinks they've downed. Song hightlights "Cloth-like Gauze", "Therapy", "Somebody to Hate", "Swarm", "The Cut Collector", "Machine Kit" and "Cables and Wire" but sadly no "Motorskills" or "Two Wires Thin".

T-Faktor - Ben from Terrorfakts newish project. Still all the power and angst of Terrorfakt, scaled back to a 2-person set up. They played a short and sweet 20-minute set sans stage light. Dark and ominous. The musical equivalent of getting bearting up in one of Detroits dark alleys

Imperative Reaction - One of the best performances I've ever seen this band put in. Energetic, lively, and big ass grins across all the band memeber faces. Opening spots for VNV Nation have certainly helped this bands exposure to a larger audience as they had a sizeable crowd in the venue. They ripped through killer live versions of "Giving into the Change", "Functional" and more from their last album. The bands last song for the evening was a stunning version of "As We Fall" that had the entire place singing along. Great great great show.

Tyske Ludder - VERY surpised by this act. A little familiar with them from numerous compilation appearances on disc I own, but never fully got into them for one reason or another. Well, I will be discovering the bands back catalog immediately. Take E-Craft and mix them with Funker Vogt and you have the 3 member Tyske Ludder. Militaristic, political, no fucking around 4/4 harsh dance beats, German lyrics... it was all in your face. I urge you City Clubbers to check this band out immediately and request this rather than the same old pussy KMFDM track (I kid, I kid... perhaps

Leaetherstrip - There's just not enough adjectives of praise to sum up Claus Larsens performance tonight. Just him on stage with a minimal amount of gear. You knew when he opened with "Adrenalin Rush" that this was going to be EPIC. Picked my jaw up off the floor when he did "Japanese Bodies", felt the anger when he raged through "Hate Me". Here's more "Don't Tame Your Soul", his cover of "Sex Dwarf", "Evil Speaks"... my memory is not so good this morning, but a great set list of new and old. One of the bands that's been on my must see list for over a decade. Well worth the wait.

Vomito Negro - Legends, true legends. This duo started in 83 and have continued to release a string of CD's since. Their most recent Skull and Bones needs to be in your collection if you are a fan of EBM. There music has that tradional European sounding industrial vibe but still pays a lot of attention to the current sound trends, the very best of old and new with Vomito Negro. Tonights set had power and emotion. Was great to see them using 50 gallon oil drums as percussion. Was really getting into there set, but ran out of energy. No sooner had Elektrosonik and I head out and the venue sadly brought the house lights up and cut there performance. To the venues credit they did let them play to the very very last possible moment the music could go, which was already well extended. Somewhere down the line I hope I get the opportunity to see this band again perform a full set.

So Caustic was supposed to follow Vomito tonight but with such a late start to things they have been shifted back to Phase 3.

Took over 300 photos of Phase 2 artist. LOTS of good ones. Will be posting to Flickr when I'm back in the states. Stoopid me forgot my camera to computer wire...

Off to lunch and then onwards to phase 3

tonights performers:

Aliceffekt

Iszoloscope

Komor Kommando

Synapscape

FGFC820

SAM

Decoded Feedback

Absolute Body Control

Combichrist

Alien Vampires

Edgey

and somewhere in there Caustic!

Be well guys and girls!

[elektrosonik]

Excellent write-up. Needed to add that I had the pleasure to hang with Joe Graham (aka ChromeSkinJesus) who does the podcast Razorblade Dancefloor. Really great guy. Been chatting with him online for 3+ years, and it was awesome to finally meet him. His show focuses on guitar-driven industrial rock. Great show. Encourage to add this to the lists of podcasts to check out.

[DJ Nocker]

Tell the gothsicles that the smash brothers nerds that were at the detroit show say hi!

[DJ Saint]

Tell the gothsicles that the smash brothers nerds that were at the detroit show say hi!

Will do.