Black Midi + lll Japonia
Riding off the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Schlagenheim, Black Midi descended into the depths of Norwich for the first time to deliver their unique sound to the sold-out Norwich Arts Centre crowd.
When the support, lll Japonia (a.k.a Taigen Kawabe from Bo Ningen) took to the stage the auditorium was already nearing its capacity and buzzing with anticipation for the main event. However soon after Taigen started his first song any thoughts of Black Midi quickly slipped to the back my mind. Having listened to Bo Ningen previously I was expecting a kind of experimental rock akin to that of headliners. The musical performance that unfolded though still experimental was far from the kind of guitar-based music I was anticipating; in fact, there were no guitars at all. lll Japonia instead performed half an hour of unhinged rap over tight trap beats which at times blended into the likes of grime and dubstep. Though this is not usually the type of music I'd listen to, the passion and energy that Taigen was putting into each track was completely hypnotising. Though anything close to trap music rarely touches the speakers of the Arts Centre the whole crowd were taken back by what was a truly strong and enjoyable performance.
After a small break in which the auditorium was filled with almost deafening classical symphonies, Black Midi embarked onto the stage. Their usual guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin was unable to join them for their current run of UK dates, so instead they enlisted Kaidi Akinnibi to step in playing Matt’s parts on the saxophone. With minimal talking the band broke into their mix of experimental rock, post-punk, math rock and (with the addition of the saxophone) Jazz. The songs melted seamlessly into one another in an ethereal blend of heavy mosh pit breeding noise and spellbindingly quiet (and almost tantric) moments. The lack of popular tracks such as ‘bmbmbm’ and ‘talking heads’ was a disappointment for some. However, the hour-long set was the perfect encapsulation of what the band are; they are not just playing their most popular tracks as they are on record, but instead creating an immersive and unique sound. Though, it was clear that their track ‘Ducter’ was a highlight for the crowd who broke out into an expansive mosh pit for the intense build up. After the impressive set finished the crowd were desperate for more though it was apparent that the band would not be back on stage to perform any more of their tracks. Unexpectedly however, all the members of Black Midi as well as Ill Japonia burst back onto the stage to dance, throw water and sing along to ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam’. A surreal end to match a dream like evening.
