PARTIKEL
1000 Trades, Birmingham - Friday 9th March
1000 Trades, Birmingham - Friday 9th March
After a week or two of wintery weather, it is beginning to feel more like Spring as temperatures begin to creep slowly up. You might even start thinking about heading off to warmer climes for the annual holiday or, if you’re in a band, perhaps to start thinking of tours and festivals. Before their first set, Duncan Eagles explained that the band weren’t currently on tour. But in their opening few numbers, they took us on a trip to different parts of the world.
The opening number had a fractured guitar line running through it that reminded me of the high-life music of Ghana or Nigeria. This was followed by ‘Lanterns’, a track that Eagles composed on a trip to China , and then a piece that had a vaguely Arabic lilt that made me think of the Alhambra in Grenada.
The room was packed and grew warm very quickly, not least because of the enthusiastic response of the audience and the way that the band gelled so seamlessly. This line-up represents a transition of sorts from the trio they’d had for a while, to the large ensemble of their CD with strings, and now to a quartet. Ant Law’s guitar playing used minimal effects but created richly nuanced textures as if he were a one man, mini-orchestra.
The opening number had a fractured guitar line running through it that reminded me of the high-life music of Ghana or Nigeria. This was followed by ‘Lanterns’, a track that Eagles composed on a trip to China , and then a piece that had a vaguely Arabic lilt that made me think of the Alhambra in Grenada.
The room was packed and grew warm very quickly, not least because of the enthusiastic response of the audience and the way that the band gelled so seamlessly. This line-up represents a transition of sorts from the trio they’d had for a while, to the large ensemble of their CD with strings, and now to a quartet. Ant Law’s guitar playing used minimal effects but created richly nuanced textures as if he were a one man, mini-orchestra.
The quartet played pieces from Partikel’s back catalogue, reworking these pieces in their new format, and also introduced some new tunes; having said that, pieces from the first albums were also new to Law and Chaplin. Of the new pieces, 'Citizen' has a groove that continually threatens to turn into a samba before shifting between different time signatures.
The ways in which Eagles’ compositions play with timing, and Eric Ford’s masterful control of rhythm (including playing a cowbell with a kick pedal or a metal gourd that might have been a sort of Nigerian udu that he played with fingers and palms), created richly textured patterns. Conor Chaplin (stepping in for tonight’s gig in place of Max Luthert) played a sonorous bass, and the solos he took, particularly in the second half, were captivating.
The interplay of Eagle’s sax playing (on both tenor and soprano) and Law’s guitar created a richly satisfying set of finely crafted post-bop tunes. But, perhaps, the most surprising moment happened when they’d closed their second set and the audience called for an encore – the band played a captivating version of 'Body and Soul' as an elegant ballad with no rhythmic tricks.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Photo credit: Brian Homer
The ways in which Eagles’ compositions play with timing, and Eric Ford’s masterful control of rhythm (including playing a cowbell with a kick pedal or a metal gourd that might have been a sort of Nigerian udu that he played with fingers and palms), created richly textured patterns. Conor Chaplin (stepping in for tonight’s gig in place of Max Luthert) played a sonorous bass, and the solos he took, particularly in the second half, were captivating.
The interplay of Eagle’s sax playing (on both tenor and soprano) and Law’s guitar created a richly satisfying set of finely crafted post-bop tunes. But, perhaps, the most surprising moment happened when they’d closed their second set and the audience called for an encore – the band played a captivating version of 'Body and Soul' as an elegant ballad with no rhythmic tricks.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Photo credit: Brian Homer
