Pete Kember (Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum) played a solo show last weekend at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Aside from his own musical ventures, he has also made a name for himself as a producer, most recently working with Noah Lennox (Panda Bear, Animal Collective) on his fourth solo release Tomboy and subsequent touring dates (you can find him on the Music Hall of Williamsburg and Webster Hall recordings). His contributions to the Tomboy material were impressive, exemplifying his understanding of sound and texture, as well as his overall talent. Evan and I became acquainted with Pete over the last few months and were given permission to record his performance this weekend.
Pete played a well rounded set complete with songs from Spectrum and Spacemen 3, in addition to several covers. The music, lighting, and fantastic visuals made for an incredibly mesmerizing experience. Pete's vocals combined with his unique use of textures made for a droney, yet spacey and melodic atmosphere. Songs continually built up tension in an almost haunting way (particularly in "Chè" and "If I Should Die"), later to be released into a swarm of catchy and pulsing synth lines. A personal highlight of the set for us (as well as many others in the crowd) was the encore, where Pete covered Suicide's "Girl". It was a fun and energetic way to close what was undoubtedly an entrancing show.
We recorded the set from the same location as last year's Avey Tare show with superb results. Thankfully the crowd noise level was tolerable with nowhere near as much talking as some of the other shows we've recorded. Special thanks to Pete for letting us document the show. Enjoy!
Download the live recording HERE (password= twosails)
Set List:
1. Mary
2. The Hall of Mirrors [Kraftwerk cover]
3. Chè
4. Let Me Down Gently
5. If I Should Die
6. Walking and Falling [Laurie Anderson cover]
7. The End
8. [Encore]
9. Girl [Suicide cover]
Girl:
great blog guys, cheers!
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