TRaC alum Tanveer shares his thoughts on some of Music TRaC’s outings in Spring 2013. Be sure to check out out his other reviews on Synth Nights at the Kitchen and the latest from The Foals. Have your thoughts on the latest in music and other areas of art published right here on the High 5 Review by joining the Teen Reviewers and Critics Program. 

Seated in the Met Museum’s performance center (which, to my surprise, was not constructed like a Greek amphitheater despite the museum’s affinity for all things Greco-Roman), the first image one sees is that of dripping water. Slowly and steadily, the drops fall in cadence, creating a metronome before DJ Spooky appears to start his show “Of Water and Ice.” Inspired by his short escapades in Antarctica, DJ Spooky composed music that details the plight of the region as climate change becomes increasingly severe. His call for awareness is ethereal and effective, shrouding the audience with pathos through his visualization, which are scenes depicting the pristine white beauty of Antarctica, and classical instruments.

Assisted by violin and cello pair Adrianna Mateo and Jiliane Russo respectively, DJ Spooky uses modern-classical music, along with ambient music (dubbed “illbient) and the dreamy voice of Haale Gafori of The Mast—an avant-garde musical duo—to captivate the audience. Instead of dragging on, DJ Spooky provides an exhibition of his full repertoire and endless potential. He deviates from modern-classical to glitch-hop. At times, his performance becomes the electronica of an intellectual rave. In another song, Gafori delivers a poem above the ambiance, gathering laughs from the audience when referring to the mishaps and myopia of fracking. The variance of the show keeps one interested. When Gafori sings in angelic hymns, behind her is a video of a woman performing a mystical dance. When DJ Spooky blends in his glitch flair, the visualization changes with the geometric precision of his compositions: Sierpinski triangles, cubic tessellations, and jagged lines. Inspired by transcendentalists, DJ Spooky is able to modernize the essence of their movement through his own niche. With meticulous command on all of the tools available to him, DJ Spooky creates substantial, thought-provoking music and entertainment that all should hear and see.

Image source: nytimes.com