Um Om ...

I, Melachi ibn Amillar, being of unsound mind and body, did attend the gig of the King Midas Sound and Om, on Sunday 30 September 2012, at the Scala, in London. The first band played loud sequenced bass beats with a few synthesizer warbles and occasional female and male vocals. It sounded like a rather slow and murky hip-hop. I had heard that "Om" themselves played modern interpretations of Byzantine chant. Judging by the many greasy, top-knotted beardies paying their respects I would not have been surprised to hear that the patriarch himself had sent a delegation. They presented a sort of drum and bass, occasionally with  rather weedy, synthesized oriental-sounding themes over the top. After about half an hour I stopped waiting to see what more was going to happen and simply experienced the totality. What can I say about this concert? Obviously to my ears it would have been greatly improved with a couple more guitars, and so I much preferred the Shrinebuilder project of their bassist (in London last year). But this sort of "heavy minimalism" is not something in which I have much expertise, and I cannot say this gig inspired me, Melachi, to acquire any.