Music: n. art of combining vocal or instrumental sounds in a harmonious or expressive way.

Well, I am sure the What Is Music? Onathon festival organisers would have something to say about that – challenging the widely adopted notion that music starts and ends with pop, classical or electronica. At this festival, a tremendous scope of artists from Finland to Japan, and the USA to Australia gathered at the Brisbane Powerhouse museum in a sonic display that evoked more than just aural adventure.

First up were Kiwi legends Dead C’s. These guys are a favourite of renowned sound experimentalist Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. With assaultive feedback from a man seated with guitar, and a bass drum that seemed to kick out your stomach they were explorations on the darker tip. Something akin to Jason Pearce from Spiritualized talking a walk with Jim O’Rourke and getting lost in a fog, but ultimately waking up to daylight.

Next in a cosy little amphitheatre was Sir Richard Bishop of the USA’s Sun City Girls, and with his intricate six string playing completely shrunk the room. There may have been as abundance of Marshall stacks behind him but it he was intent on playing to you. Just you. Augmenting styles from Flamenco, Gypsy and Indian Ragas this was definitely the softest piercing of the day.

Gang Gang Dance came highly recommended – perhaps it was the lack of space that affected their performance, but their pleasing pastiche of keys, bounce and melody left wanting. It is in their nature to instantaneously create fusion onstage, but their blend of Middle Eastern, hip hop and rock felt a little under whelming.

It was with excitement though that four acutely dressed ladies entered the stage, lead by Yoshimi from The Boredoms the Japanese collective OOiOO was sure to attract a large audience – and I was right. It was like watching a pummelling J.Pop act morph into a big band, disguised as pop, with an under current of tribal beats. Their drummer was using some of the most abstract percussion, my personal favourite being an assortment of metallic teacups. Possibly the first act of the day to get people dancing… but definitely not the last.

It was left for Black Dice to finish me off though – three guys that provided an obscurest anthem with their sheer intensity and genuine enthusiasm. Signed to universal tastemakers FatCat and DFA, it was always going to be interesting. It’s rare to catch a smile at these events, but they were there, plastered over the faces of these guys. Liars-esque in their unstoppable beats and squally yet muted guitar style, but with such a unique dynamic that their repetition and ‘no-let-up’ policy felt akin to a Marilyn Manson show(!), complete with a Fleetwood Mac mutation of ‘Tusk’. This act would be tough to beat.

But who can deny Chicks on Speed? Technicolor raps of times and crimes, Alex Leslie-Murray stood centre stage, laptop poised for destruction. Through costume changes, audience P-A-R-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N and blinding body paint their aural adventure was one of glee and manic abandon. Taking a liberal stab at new tracks off  Press The Space Bar and 99cents, the bulk of their set was all about interplay: between audience and band, between media and technology. This was as ‘pop’ as it got – and it was great.

Hmm, Sun O))). How to describe five guys, wearing monks costumes, with one – the centrepiece – dressed in a galvanising white, playing drone? DRONE! It had to happen at one stage, and this was the band to create it.  Formed in honour of the ‘cult’ drone-riff instigators Earth, this was one act that needed a wide berth… mainly because as you entered you couldn’t see 10 metres in front of you due to their smoke machine working over time. With the tag: ‘designed to massage the listeners intestines into an act of defecation’ I left Sun O))) to their enthralled congregation… and I ran off to the ladies.