Soulwax have played their first two shows of the years this weekend. On Friday, there was a try out gig at Om in Liege (Belgium) and on Saturday they were headlining the Best Kept Secret festival in The Netherlands.
The reviews of the show at Best Kept Secret were raving.
Here’s the review from Humo:(with a little help from Google Translate)
The words ‘All systems are lying’ flashed across the video screens, accompanied by a sensual female voice reciting the same thing. Was it political commentary? Or the title of Soulwax’ new album due out in the fall? Well, duh!
We knew the set-up with the gigantic button synthesizers and the three drummers from the 2024 club tour. The setlist, on the other hand, had been diligently tweaked. All things considered, Best Kept Secret got a deconstruction of the past ten years of Soulwax in the first fifteen minutes, supplemented with a snippet of pounding ‘Nite Versions’. From ‘Do You Want To Get Into Trouble?’ to the thundering intro of ‘Missing Wires’ and that of ‘Is It Always Binary’.
The Ghentians were generous with new work. See: a hypnotic ‘Polaris’ and the Junior Boys-like ‘Run Free’, as well as the electro-punk of ‘Hot Like Sahara’, in which a bit of ‘Any Minute Now’ was hidden. You may have recognised songs from last year’s concert tour: ‘Idiots In Love’, full of David Sylvian vibes and electronic stoner rock. ‘New Earth Time’ was bratty house pop, the devilishly catchy ‘Gimme A Reason’ was already begging for radio airplay in high rotation.
Was that approach risky? Performing so many new, as yet unknown songs? As a headliner on the main stage of a major festival? You say it. But Soulwax would be denying itself if it had opted for a greatest hits approach at this stage of its career. Apart from that: yes, this well-refined, Kraftwerk-like show would have had more impact in a marquee tent like the TWO.
Those who persevered were rewarded with a snippet of Marie Davidson’s ‘Work It’, with Samantha Fu’s ‘Theme From Discotheque’ and a stubborn ‘E Talking’ and even ‘Moscow Discow’ by Telex. An angry ‘NY Excuse’ finished the set.
This show was a statement. One that has slowly taken shape over the past few years and says: Soulwax is not a band but an entity. With a tight concept and a fluid interpretation. Eat it or beat it.
pictures by Lennert Cusumano
Leave a Reply