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John Talabot played Le Poisson Rouge w/ Blondes (pics, videos, review)

photos by Maxwell Reichert words by Kon Glikos

John Talabot @ Le Poisson Rouge – 9/27/12
John Talabot

Last Thursday night (9/27) FIXED hosted Barcelonian John Talabot at Le Poisson Rouge, this marking his second date on his North American tour — and his first live date at the venue which he DJed back in August. Since the release of his LP fIN on Permanent Vacation early this year, he has been the recipient of a universal set of accolades and deservingly so. fIN is a complete record, in the sense that every song is its own realized concept, with all roads ending in the same place. No one idea ever overtakes another, resulting in a varied and inspired electronic album. When listening to it you get the sense that there are rich influences fueling the sounds, although they are not easily traceable. This kind of mysticism begs interest and is precisely what drives music fans crazy. Talabot ended up striking the proverbial cord in that respect, and fIN quickly found a home in techno DJ record bags, indie-playlists and hipster sects alike.

That diverse mix is what made up the crowd for the night, all awaiting the highly anticipated performance. After a notable opening set by Brooklynites Blondes; dishing out a hypnotic 4/4 helping of live techno. Talabot and fellow Spaniard and collaborator/vocalist Pional took center stage in front of a sizable set up including digital and analog gear, keyboards and some live percussion. As expected, Talabot moved through most of his celebrated LP, with highlights lying between the lines in the polyrhythmic changes from song to song. The slower material like “El Oeste”, shined because of all of the individual elements coming in sharp and distinct, closing in on every moment passing by. While, more of the dancefloor-concentrated material gave into the crowd’s revelry. Songs like “Destiny” and “So Let It Be Now” incorporated an ideal mix of harmonized vocals, texture and thump; giving everyone a chance to sweat it out, if for only a little while.

Overall, the interplay between the live organic elements and processed sound found an eccentric musical middle ground rarely attempted or experienced. While impressive, the performance did leave a feeling behind that Talabot is still getting comfortable with his elaborate live format and that there was room for the scope of his performance to grow. Still, being a voyeur within this circumstance is fortunate and if this show was any indication at all, the remaining dates on this North American tour are in for a real treat.

More pictures and a couple videos from the LPR show are below.

Blondes

John Talabot

John Talabot

JDH & Dave P

John Talabot

John Talabot

John Talabot

John Talabot

John Talabot

John Talabot

John Talabot & Pional – “Destiny” at Le Poisson Rouge – 9/27/12

Blondes – “Wine” at Le Poisson Rouge – 9/27/12