Absent sound, present booming
TIMOTHY BROWN STAFF
PHOTO CREDIT: COURTESY OF ABSENT SOUND
Absent Sound has been a familiar band to the Winnipeg music scene for a few years now and have been slowly but surely attracting more and more attention. Combining hypnotic sounds and unique live performances, they are not a group that is easily forgotten. Member Rob Menard describes the group as follows: “Engaging, atmospheric, dream-like ambiance are the powerful elements in the music of Absent Sound. These puppet masters wield a musical arsenal, creating huge dramatic worlds of sound with organic chants, colossal guitars, hypnotic off-time record
scratches, beats, loops, and Lesley speaker keyboard drones: ears open and eyes closed is all the flight attendant requests.”
This of course only describes what you would be listening to if you saw Absent Sound play. What you would be watching, while maintaining that engaging, atmospheric, dream-like ambiance, is something incredibly exciting. Incorporating a variety of creative elements into their live performance, the band creates a unique and beautiful world that pulls the audience in. As Menard says, “Absent Sound’s live show puts them in the realm of an art installation: employing at times performance art, multiple television sets, performance painting, film projection, contemporary dancers, and stilt-walking pantomime. Winnipeg’s creatively fertile filmmaking community has also perfectly complemented their music.”
Absent Sound are quite active when it comes to performing, and this spring is looking to be no different. They will be performing at this year’s Nuna Icelandic Festival taking place right here in Winnipeg. The Nuna Festival is a convergence of art between Iceland and Manitoba. There are a variety of artists involved who all share, in some way, an Icelandic connection, and an interest in exploring the creativity shared by the two countries. In the case of Absent Sound, they were invited to attend because of Menard’s Icelandic heritage.
Absent Sound’s upcoming April 26 performance at the beautiful Ellice Theatre, like any of their shows, will be sure to entertain and mesmerize all in attendance. Early Absent Sound performances included just two people, Dave Fort and Rob Menard, but since then they have started to expand by incorporating new instruments, people and ideas. Menard describes the group’s lineup for the performance thusly: “Playing with Absent Sound are Rob Menard, guitars, vocals, samples and loops, David Fort, guitar, bass, vocals, Josh Butcher, organs, vocals, Kelly Castle, drums, percussion, Boudicca, shamanic performance art, Natalia Zielinski, violin, and Doreen Girard, cello.” Opening for the band that evening are The Fo!ps and Philia.
After the festival, the group heads westward for a short two-week trip, shortly after which they’ll head to the Superstarcastic Festival in Chicago, taking place June 1. Then, on June 21, they will be playing at ElementSircus, a solstice celebration that they put on in Winnipeg twice every year. This year they will be performing with legendary vocalist Damo Suzuki from the equally legendary German band Can. They will also be accompanying Suzuki for a few dates on his North American tour. “Our Waterloo show with Damo Suzuki will be recorded by the infamous Darryl Neudorf [who has been a producer for Neko Case, the Sadies, and the New Pornographers] and possibly be put out by Damo himself,” says Menard.
Absent Sound’s live performance, whether it’s with Damo Suzuki or not, is a show not to be missed. With the addition of the new members, sounds, and performances, Absent Sound look more ready to blow your minds and ears than ever before. So, bring $7, go support those people with Icelandic heritage (like myself) and check out one of Winnipeg’s best and most creative bands.
