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RedJetson live
Lineup: Redjetson, Hentai
Date: 31/03/2003
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by Gen Williams
Hentai are post-everything. One might go so far as to call them post-core, if one was in that kind of mood. There's a first song, a last song, and four and a half minutes of amps buzzing betwixt the two. When they're actually playing, it's all very pretty, a serpentine stream of twiddly guitar noises and token rumbling bits, but it goes nowhere. It feels like post-rock for the sake of post-rock. Which is no fun at all.

In sharp contrast, Redjetson are very clearly going somewhere. In the months since DiS first clapped eyes on them, they've mutated into something very special indeed. Words like 'seismic', 'monstrous', 'unfeasible' come to mind. A seemingly unassuming bunch, their latest trick is sending tremors through the aged floorboards of the Arts Cafe. Where before they incited grinning comparisons to Six By Seven, Joy Division, Idlewild, these now feel redundant; there isn't anyone around that sounds like this band. Within a small, controlled spectrum of notes anchored by stupefyingly massive bass, they conjure up speech-defying intensity, seething rage and tremulous despair. They master the same feat that Aereogramme do, in managing to simultaneously be extremely fragile and 'indie', and blindingly heavy, and yet never approaching the safe middle-ground between the two.

By the time they launch into 'Pieces Go Missing', their thunderous set-closer, all you can see is the white noise slowly creeping into the corners of your vision, obscuring all that is normal and reasonable and safe and unthreatening, as the ground seems to shift beneath your feet. As the band retreat from the stage, a roomful of people huddle with their hands clutched over their ears, cowering beneath a residual cloud of screeching feedback, and you find yourself wondering if these tectonic vibrations have been felt across the breadth of East London, or if it's limited to this room alone. Did the earth move for you too?

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Redjetson + Hentai - London Aldgate East Arts Cafe

I'm a new user and must admit I find it a little sad that all the live reviews you have for Redjetson have been written by the same person who always seems to have very little time for anyone else on the bill.
I've actually seen Redjetson and they really didn't do much for me,bit shoe-gazing for me,we need superstars.
But ho hum,if this is how your reviews work I guess thats your choice.Just bit disappointed.

Re: Redjetson + Hentai - London Aldgate East Arts Cafe

i wasn't overly taken by hentai at all. could see what they were trying to do but in my opinion they didn't do it that well.

on the not-having-time-for-the-other-bands point though, if you wanna peer back at the first review i wrote of them, they were on a bill with mountain men anonymous and the excellent project abner, and i didn't exactly rip them to shreds.

i just write what i honestly think. i could lie for the sake of diplomacy, but that's not really the point of DiS, is it?

fair point about me writing several reviews of them however - i feel the same to be honest, so next time they play it'll probably be someone else who reviews them.

x
gen

Re: Redjetson + Hentai - London Aldgate East Arts Cafe

Fair enough...I happened upon your site thru Rocklands and I love their spirit and enthusiasm so hope this is similar place!
Good point bout first review,I was probably generalising bit much.I will disagree with you on Corporation Blend (Rocklands got me onto them too!)tho,saying that I went to that gig and they didn't seem totally on it that night.

Re: Redjetson + Hentai - London Aldgate East Arts Cafe

fair enough. corporation blend were just really really not to my taste!

what's rocklands' url, would like to have a glance :)

cheers,

x
gen

Re: Redjetson + Hentai - London Aldgate East Arts Cafe

Rocklands is:

http://home.clara.net/lovepeacemusic/

Minxy who does site has great articles on Corporation Blend,MBA,Kinesis etc,she's a total star and they're doing a club night called Pop Of The Tops in a few weeks (CB playing again with another top band called Special Needs)so check it out.