Still midway through their double-edged sonic assault of 2017 releases, Moon Duo’s brand of mechanical krautrock-infused psych proved to be the perfect recipe for a dreary, Friday night in the capital. Located down a narrow stairway, underneath a railway station, the condensed, linear design of the venue lent itself to the rigorous motorik live show of these Oregon natives.

With a circular backdrop of mesmerising kaleidoscopic visuals, projected in sync with the music, it turned the three individuals on stage into a trio of silhouettes for the entirety of the gig. This took away any characterisation of the band, leaving the audience fully immersed within the progressive soundscapes. The performance felt more like an explorative journey than a musical concert.

Guitarist Ripley Johnson and keyboardist Sanae Yamada have always adhered to an ‘always different, always the same’ ethos, allowing their tracks to seamlessly blend into one another when performed live. With the addition of a live drummer, the sheer velocity of their compositions is intensified for gigs, leading to a fuller, more complete sound. The percussionist rarely left his pulsating motorik framework, giving Johnson the freedom to drop unassuming, yet scintillating guitar solos and Yamada the opportunity to elongate her woozy synth noises.

Today’s modern psychedelic landscape is a convoluted one, but Moon Duo are one of the few bands in existence with the ability to portray their brand of psych in a self-effacing manner. ‘The Death Set’ exemplifies this, with the thundering drums gradually let loose after an initial three minutes of woozy synth tones. The track initiated proceedings before five more followed from Volume One of Occult Architecture; the band’s most recent, and easily their best, album to date.

The sinister ambiance of ‘Cold Fear’ manifests into a more approachable incarnation on stage, while the breakneck tempo of ‘Creepin’ is exaggerated further as the enthralling background graphics transported the London crowd into 1970s Dusseldorf. Johnson’s axe work then came to the forefront on ‘Cut of Moloch’ as his vast expanse of guitar tones married perfectly with the gloomy soundscape coming from the keys.

One of the rare old songs of the set ‘Free The Skull’, meanwhile, carried an elegant groove that complimented Yamada’s rigid three note keyboard line. While ‘Free Action’s’ minimal stomping guitar riff and swaggering bass drum was another relative oldie that got dug out, as the evening’s most traditional rock track. Later on the incessant drumming of ‘White Rose’ morphed the venue into a cosmic-disco as the responsive crowd pleaded the band to continue on at the frantic pace. A cover of The Stooges’ ‘No Fun’ soon followed as a terrain of fuzz and blistering guitar capped it off in heroic style.

With alluring vocal interchanges and absorbing krautrock soundscapes continuing for over an hour, a Moon Duo show is an engrossing spectacle. While it may not be to everyone’s taste, particularly those who desire a singalong chorus, or expect more crowd interaction, the audience tonight left Heaven exhilarated and even more eager to hear what the second half of Occult Architecture will bring.
Paul Hill

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