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Sprawl London - Featuring Robert Hampson and Simon Longo | |||||||||||||||||||
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  Despite the bleak wet Sunday night and collective end of year lethargy, the snug environs of London's Charterhouse Bar were the perfect setting to warm the cockles with the sonic perambulations of Simon Longo and Robert Hampson. As Sprawl events go this was decidedly low key for the likes of ex Loop guitarist Robert Hampson, just back from gigs in Paris but determined to treat his hometown London audience to his most recent soniques nouveau. But first it was left to Simon Longo aka Dithernoise to open and with microphone in hand was already feeding in bar ambience to begin processing what would provide the main audio source for his set. Unaware that the bar was playing host to tonight's performances, a group of diners, who couldn't see the goings on at this end of the room seemed to grow in volume as the Dithernoise sound machine took off. This had the intriguing effect of feeling like a growing accompaniment to what Mr Longo was feeding into his signal processor and as the sound became louder, so did they. Filtered waves of ambience & signal processing increasing in intensity, washed through the bar with a sub bass drone punctuated by voices & percussive glitches. It was all live, and if being slightly drowned out, was also a gentle time based sonic experience everyone was clearly enjoying. Next up was Robert Hampson who after the vexed confusion of one of the staff looking over his shoulder (interested in the programme he was using) kicked off his set and soon recaptured the post interval listening of the crowd who had gathered at this end of the room. Opening with a melange of sizzling glitches (almost) à la the opening track on Scary Monsters, Mr Hampson started on a sonic journey that had our dedicated crew nodding in appreciation... and for good reason. He may have given up guitar but the laptop soundscapes he was producing left no one in doubt as to the nature of the direction he is going in now. It still has the mesmeric qualities of the early Loop psychedelia only replaced by a pallette of ambient & melodic electronic processing that actually might have been an interesting addition to any Loop set. There are also perhaps hints of Eno & Holger Czukay in here but any comparisons are largely similarities in quality as he has definitely carved out his own take on abstract sound / noise. As his set drew to a close the parping of of early evening patrons had dissapeared and all were entranced, big applause..... and a grand finish to a long week.Sprawl Based at 38 Charterhouse St, London, Sprawl is an underground playground and test tube for current sound. Their events provide incubation periods for new and infectious ideas. For 6 years this has included everything from serious turntable abuse, global internet link ups, virtual parties, minidisc doctoring and live music all rolled into splendid parties with big screen visuals. For FFI contact residents / curators si-cut.db and Iris Garrelfs. Photos Neil Jenkins Review by
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