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Timothy S. Griffin

Mount Kimbie are on tour (NYC tonight), played SXSW (pics)

photos by Timothy Griffin

Mount Kimbie on Barbarella Patio (BV/M4M Day Party Saturday)
Mount Kimbie

As mentioned in a post about their collaborator James Blake, and again in a post about their opener Jamie Woon, Mount Kimbie play Le Poisson Rouge in NYC tonight (3/24) as part of a tour they’ve been on since SXSW where, among other shows, they played a set in the sun at the BrooklynVegan Day Party Saturday at Barbarella:

“After technical difficulties earlier in the week, London duo Mount Kimbie lucked out with the excellent sound system at Barbarella. Standing in the bar’s back patio in front of the stage was like being hugged around the legs by an electric field of bass, while melodies and sound effects flitted at chest and head level.

In the burning midday sunlight, some hipster moved a pleather couch to the ideal viewing spot, dead-center in front of Mount Kimbie. He had a great view, but the really important stuff came out of the speakers.

At root, the music was about R&B chord progressions. Four chords, with all kinds of implied melody. Over that foundation, Mount Kimbie created surround-sound cave-like atmosphere with digital samplers and keyboards. Echoes with vague sources, bird-like squeaks, metallic clanks. Everything overlayed and more layers kept piling on, with initial melodies later revealed to be harmonies to more important melodies. Inevitably, a rolling/clacking beat and major bass were introduced, and that’s how you knew it was dubstep, the electronic music subgenre Mount Kimbie belongs to but is constantly escaping.

Unlike dance music that repeats with little variation, Kimbie played “songs” in the rockist sense, and used instrumentation from that world, as well.

“Before I Move Off” featured a live snare drum rim shot, miked and digitally looped. “Field” featured electric guitar played ragged and distorted, as a disarmingly effective segue between pulsing techno and a beat borrowed from southern American hip hop.” [Seattle Times]

Mount Kimbie were introduced by the cast of Workaholics, and went on after Trail of Dead and !!! and before a day-closing set by Daedelus.

Tickets to the NYC show are still available. More pictures from our day party and all tour dates, below…

BrooklynVegan & M For Montreal Free Saturday Austin Day Party

Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie

New Moods

Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie – 2011 Tour Dates
Thu 03/24/11 LPR New York NY *
Fri 03/25/11 Wrongbar Toronto ON *
Sat 03/26/11 Le Belmont Montreal QC *
Sun 03/27/11 The Luminary Center for the Arts St Louis MO
Tue 03/29/11 Empty Bottle Chicago IL
Wed 03/30/11 Baltic Room Seattle WA
Thu 03/31/11 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver BC
Fri 04/01/11 The Crown Room Portland OR
Sat 04/02/11 Mezzanine San Francisco CA
Sun 04/03/11 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA
Tue 04/05/11 The Depot Salt Lake City UT
Wed 04/06/11 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver CO
Thu 04/07/11 King Plow Arts Center Atlanta GA
Fri 04/08/11 Grey Eagle Tavern Asheville NC
Sat 04/09/11 Electric Pickle Miami FL
Sun 04/10/11 Honey Pot Tampa FL
Mon 04/11/11 The Engine Room Tallahassee FL
Tue 04/12/11 Backbooth Orlando FL
Wed 04/13/11 The Hookah New Orleans LA
Fri 04/15/11 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Indio CA
* w/ Jamie Woon