indieberlin prsented last Tuesday’s Fête de la Musique at Kesselhaus. The party was a success, with Camp Claude and Thylacine making sure the crowd enjoyed their evening. As was to be expected, most of the people were speaking French.
Touted as the next big thing by French giants Les Inrockuptibles, Camp Claude came on stage around 11 after the European Championships matches were over. Fronted by photographer Diane Sagnier, the trio started playing before a half filled Kesselhaus. With guitarist Leo Hellden and machinist Mike Giffts, formerly of Tristesse Contemporaine, they churned through their poppy repertoire. The sound filled the whole area and the crowd started getting into the vibe. The concert lacked a bit of stage presence, with no real movement except for the back and forth rocking motion of guitarist Léo Hellden. After an hour or so, they vacated the stage and preparations for Thylacine’s DJ began.
Hypnotic locomotive sounds sampled during his trip on the Trans-Siberian rail
Thylacine is a young up and coming DJ who is slowly making a name for himself. The former jazz saxophonist came on and remarked this was his first time playing in Berlin. The room by now had filled up considerably and people were somewhat more enthusiastic. His set began with “Train” and its hypnotic locomotive sounds sampled during his trip on the Trans-Siberian rail. Add in techno beats and you’ve got a very happy audience. Thylacine then proceeded to add some live saxophone to one of his tracks, a bit in the style of Bakermat.
His turntables are turned towards the crowd and he hangs over them, showing everybody his every move. It’s quite a refreshing trait when compared to the usual electronic music set when the protagonist hides behind his setup. The visuals projected behind him offer an impressive show and can at times be distracting, which is probably a good thing when you afraid to bop around with shut eyelids. He deserves every credit for the energy he puts into his set. At 0130 hours, the time of my departure, the music was still raring and hundreds remained.
Review by Patrick Bird
