ALTRES ft ELECTRA - Flower & Food Festival, Dundee 01-09-07

Altres are Dundee'smost remarkable band - a core quartet of Joe on synths and keys, Kevin on synths, sequencers and programms, Mike on electric guitar and Brian on electric guitar and fx - last year they played 2 concerts on top of Dundee's working observatory, set high atop the banks of the Tay and overlooking the kingdom of Fife, at which vocalist extraordinaire, Electra, joined as guest. Then, last August, they performed at The Elemental Arts Festival in Ardfern, tucked away on a tiny village on the Scottish West Coast run by a comunity of hippies and musicians, also with Electra. Forward to 2007 and the quartet played a date for me and Rudi at The Westport Bar, then again a couple of days later in Perth, at which percussionist extraordinaire, Cath Costello, also of Hennisi/Dubhead fame, joined in as guest, never having heard the bnd before, and also fitted like a glove. A recent concert at a proper indoor venue, the lucky recipient being Bannermans in Edinburgh, saw the quartet once more joined by Electra, but Cath couldn't make it. This August, the line-up with Cath but without Electra (are you following this!!!), returned to the West Coast to play once more. Forward to the present and, with Cath away but Electra returning, the band secured a concert at Dundee's Flower and Food Festival taking place at Camperdown Park - you can't say this band don't play some incredibly off-the-wall places!!!
So it was that, on a wondrously sunny day, the band set up on the outdoor stage - the combination of white clouds and blue skies behind them, ornate plant-bearing pots set front of stage and the sun shining down - to play in front of the wandering crowds at the festival. With Electra seated back of stage, it was left to the band to start proceedings as the rich sound of synths was heard emanating from the PA, textural guitars adding to the depth and strength, as the band slowly builds up this gorgeous sea of electronic and electric soundscaping, rhythms allowed to wander in and wander out as clouds across the sky, the whole panorama of sound billowing out and wafting over the audience. Shortly into the proceeedings, Electra comes to the front of the stage and, with a voice that's as strong as it is pure, provides this amazing wordless vocalising over the delicious ocean of sound that's coming from the musicians. Although still improvising, what is immediately noticeable, even from the Edinburgh gig, is just how natural a part of the overall sound, Electra's vocals have become. She knows almost instinctively when to join in and when to let the band go it alone. Later on, one number saw her add proper lyrics to the track, again improvsed, as a sort of cosmic electronic take on Cream's "Crossroads" became part the synthesized magic. Throughout her parts, she was superb - that voice so in tune and so captivating as it flies like the wind over the musical backing.
For their part, Altres decided to play a more meloow tyhpe of set, in keeping with the mood of the Festival and the day (and the audience, too), only occasionally letting loose the sequencers, while Brian's multi-textured guitar chords flew and swooped as Mike's choppy Frippian chording held court at the base of the mix.. Only on the traditionally rocky last number did the band hit the aggression button as they built up a head of guitar and synthesizer steam that scorched the earth and lit up the sky.
So it was that our merry band of musical gardeners, weeded and scythed their crop to produce musical flowers that bloomed and blossomed into something of spectacular beauty and memsrising quality, once more achieving a set of absolute brilliance.
What strange place will they play next? Will the new 6-piece band play together for the first time since the old band existed as a sextet in the '80's? Watch for "Altres - The Sequel", coming to a city or town near you.....soon!!

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