I was going to do a kind of review thing for our recent Swiss
adventure at the Leysin festival but Ben Wilmott kindly did one in NME
(7 Sept 1996) that probably says everything that's non-libelous, in
far fewer words than I would have needed. But...
Aphex (as DJ) and Autechre put in two of the best live performances
I've seen. Aphex just sending everyone mad, all limbs flailing with
Squarepusher, and quite a bit of his own old stuff (Tamphex) and the
new stuff the effect of which fresh and raw of DAT was like pouring
nitric acid into both of your ears (?). Autechre sent everyone into
the deepest darkest eyes closed head nodding trip I've experienced,
captivating 800 people a freezing tent til 6am, with their most
minimal grooves (watch out for the next single). Earlier in the day
Freeform played the best set I've seen him do, steering away from the
noodly boring stuff and layering out grooves and melodies again
ensnaring a potentially hostile crowd. Red Snapper were ace and it was
pity they were on so early - they only played to 300 or so, compared
to a peak of say 2,500 during Underworld and Aphex. Richard coped
remarkabley well with a drum kit that wasn't fixed to the stage...
B12 were playing to about 50 people when they came on having drawn the
first straw and performing first, but they shook everyone (there) up
with pure Detroitey bit in the middle and err... experimental bits ;)
Nightmares On Wax and Underworld were the two popular crowd pleasers,
whipping up the crowd into a frenzy (Underworld to an almost worrying
degree, they're aural crack, live, short incredibly intense rush from
almost nothing).
And the mountains were pretty good too.
g.