The last time Blick Bassy played in Brighton, his set marked him out as an original and exciting act. It wasn’t clear until his return though, that the first concert was very stripped back, essentially an all acoustic performance backed by cello and trombone. It was a surprise to find, this time, a far more elaborate rig onstage. While that first performance portrayed him as a refreshing, but straightforward, afro-folk artist, this time he showed himself to be a different animal entirely, willing to experiment in ways that don’t obviously gel with his musical persona.

His songwriting is a breath of fresh air, based on rural rhythms and roaming melodies, and given a country twinge by Bassy’s banjo/guitar hybrid. Perhaps the foundations of his style are common in Cameroon – but they have no parallel over here, making him absolutely unique. Most songs were upbeat and light-hearted, although he could also be very intense. Likewise, Bassy’s voice on the whole was soft and gentle, but as the gig wore on he ventured into more forceful territory, beginning to reflect passion and anger. Sadly the actual message of his songs was lost, as he makes a point of singing exclusively in Bassa, but the tone of the songs made his sentiments clear.

Bassy was lucky to be joined onstage by two phenomenal musicians, Clement Petit on cello and Johan Blanc on trombone. Both being on fretless instruments imparted a certain fluidity to their songs, and both displayed some remarkable musicianship. Blanc was able to draw an unprecedented range of sounds from his trombone, while not overpowering Bassy’s mellow outflow. Petit’s playing, both with fingers and bow, literally drew gasps from the crowd, particularly for some subtle but impressively quick licks.

What makes the band truly special is how they take all of these elements, which culminate in a tropical and quaintly nostalgic folk sound, and combine them with more modern ingredients, to make their style definitively original. Blanc, for example, brought a synth into the mix, imparting space-age sounds to the archaic backdrop. Meanwhile Bassy switched between several preset microphones and multiple handheld instruments to distort his voice.

The band walked a tightrope between artificial effects and natural acoustic instruments. Some songs, like ‘Wap Do Wap’ and ‘Ake’, came out unaltered and pure in their simplicity. Others, like ‘Ndje Yem’, got the full treatment and were devastating. It was a far cry from Blick Bassy’s earlier gig at The Alternative Escape, but it gave the band a whole new arena to explore, and one with which they experimented fully. The result was a concert that was musically invigorating and eye-opening. It felt like seeing a different band entirely, where this time Bassy was not at all a straightforward folk and soul artist. Rather he showcased a style that felt both old-fashioned and innovative and at the same time retrospective and avant-garde.
Ben Noble

Website: blickbassy.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/BLICK-BASSY/104498265383
Twitter:  twitter.com/blickbassy

Read our interview with Blick Bassy here: http://brightonsfinest.com/html/index.php/9-articles/1480-blick-bassy-interview-2016