Seth Misterka (NYC) & BrianChase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), ShoebAhmad @ Knightbridge, Canberra(25/5/10)

Sun 30th May, 2010 in Gig Reviews

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On a chilly May Tuesday Canberrans can normally be found curled up on couches, but not tonight – music students, jazz enthusiasts and those craving something a little different filled Knightsbridge Penthouse.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Seth Misterka and Brian Chase are a musically experimental duo with a sound that encompasses musical sophistication with free-thinking values.

Many will know Chase from his work as drummer in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but his lesser-known side project with esteemed saxophonist Seth Misterka is what’s bought him to humble Canberra-town last Tuesday.

Earlier this month the duo launched their new album The Shape of Sound at Toff in Town in Melbourne, the follow-up release of their 2007 self-titled album.

The evening opens shortly after 9.30pm with local sound man Shoeb Ahmad. Ahmad gives us a whole lot of distortion, discord that completely lacks any musical cohesion, even for an ‘experimental’ genre.

The set couldn’t have ended sooner and before long Misterka and Chase position themselves in the dimly lit corner of the bar. Their opening track runs for 11 minutes and yet manages to captivate the audience. The duo work exceptionally well together, sharing both a musical chemistry and a unique vision.

Their sound, although complex and layered, possesses a funky jazz undertone with true head bopping qualities and is initially well received by the crowd.

By the third track in, Misterka and Chase are losing audience members, but not through lack of musical excitement. With such a complex sound, it’s entirely possible that a portion of the room’s Canberrans are just not ready for Misterka and Chase.

A softly spoken Chase begins to announce the next track, stopping and re-starting in an attempt to be heard over the now rowdy uni students. He looks frustrated but refuses to use the microphone. Misterka looks unphased.

Truly a sound powerhouse, Misterka is a multi-instrumentalist composer and producer, who’s best known as a zany saxophonist in Anthony Braxton’s Ghost Trance Ensemble, Dynasty Electric and other bands in Brooklyn’s musical underground. It’s evident that Misterka has a fire in the belly, along with an exceptional amount of air in his lungs. He goes where little jazz musicians have gone before, using digital sound to distort and add light and shade, exploring the musical future of experimental jazz music.

Unlike his closed eyed saxophonist, Chase is ‘in the zone’ on drums, methodically scanning the audience, staring down every pair of eyes he can catch. At one point, struggling to keep punters focused, Chase revisits the microphone, mumbling into it and thrusting it against the amp, causing a room full of distortion. The room silences and the next track begins.

One of the more unique evening’s in the capital, Canberrans are lucky to have hosted these incredibly talented and free-thinking musicians. Their latest release The Shape of Sound is one of the most cutting edge releases I’ve heard this year, and should only be approached with an open mind and your drink of choice.

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