Late September last year, Efterklang dropped Piramida – a collection of their curiosities and aspirations; a masterpiece in its own right.
Piramida is perhaps best described (though with slight hesitation) as a concept album. The band travelled to Pyramiden in Russia, a once thriving mining community. They used the vast empty industrial buildings and residential blocks to form music, hitting broken piano keys, drumming upon walls made entirely of bottles and singing in enormous cylindrical storage towers. They took these sounds home with them both in physical recordings and mental inspiration to create Piramida. The adventures and events that went into making the album were also recorded, and they put together a short movie titled “The Ghost Of Piramida”
I was lucky enough to attend a screening of “The Ghost Of Piramida” at Friska in Bristol. The location was beautiful. Fluorescent bulbs clung to the ceiling amidst a packed room of indulging individuals fuelled by beer and nachos; behind this near chaotic scene a single white sheet was pinned. As soon as the crackling images arose on the screen of the film, the room filled almost seemed to pause. Everyone was lost in the dialogue, cinematography and story that not only went into creating this film but the life and culture of the community that once inhabited the island. It’s nearly impossible to discuss the scene, partly because I don’t want to divulge the plot, but also because words can’t really express or justify what it explores – All I can really say is as soon as it releases for download or whatever platform Efterklang choose (as I’m sure they will), it’s a must see even if you check it out before giving the album a listen. Here’s a little teaser anyway:
A few weeks after this, I managed to get a ticket to see them at The Fleece in Bristol. Despite selling out, the venue was perfect; the sound quality is always incredible and the small capacity the venue holds made the whole experience seem very intimate, enhancing the rarity of the evening. Anna Von Hausswolff started the gig off with a mind-blowing performance. I have to confess I never researched her before the gig so I was going in blind apart from a friend telling me she had a voice that resembled that of Kate Bush…I could see where he was going, but there was enough of a difference that, combined with her band and much more Sigur Ros feel. The songs were lengthy and built up with intrinsic levels of looped e-bow and synth, with vocals dropping in and out. A worthy band to introduce Efterklang.
When it was time for the main effort, the crowd could not be any more ready if they tried and soon enough, the most dapper group of Danish fellows climbed onto the stage; Rasmus (bassist) still had his iconic moustache although Casper (vocalist) seemed to have lost his somewhere along the door. Efterklang played through a mix of stuff from the majority of their albums although a highlight of the gig was their performance of Alike (from ‘Magic Chairs’ – See a clip below from a gig in Paris) which they performed entirely acoustically, even bringing on stage a small organ and projecting their voices purely, without a mic. Monument (from ‘Piramida’) was also a breathtaking moment; the stage lights faded and all that lit the faces of the performers was a short clip from “The Ghost Of Piramida” feature.
What needs to be about this band then? It’s hard to know where to start. It’s rare to find a band who are able to make art from an album; a band who have the capacity to make a full bodied creation not just a download link to a stream on SoundCloud.
Unfortunately Efterklang have left the UK for the time being but they’re back in the summer for a few festivals so for anyone who’s circled them as a maybe on their hit-list of bands to see, I suggest you change that for a thumbs-up immediately.
Where to find Efterklang:
http://efterklang.net/home/ (The band)
http://www.theghostofpiramida.com/ (For details on their documentary)
By Daniel Waller
Dance Yrself Clean
