Author: Curtis Bird

For most artists whose last release was thirteen years ago, fans would likely not want to wait around that long in anticipation of anything worthwhile. Genghis Tron is not that artist. After a lengthy hiatus, the four-piece experimental electronic metal band returned with a captivating new album released on Friday, March 26th. Compared to their previous releases, Genghis Tron’s Dream Weapon showcases a refreshing, atmospheric sound, while still maintaining their defining characteristics.

The album opens with “Exit Perfect Mind”, a short and simple ambient synth piece setting the tone of all that follows. Both “Pyrocene” and “Dream Weapon”  feature a thick and heavy drum beat and instrumentals inspired by pop and psychedelic rock traditions. The latter especially drives home the pensive feel central to the work as a whole.

“Soaring Strings” was the riveting title of the Minnesota Orchestra’s live streamed performance on March 5th. The concert featured two guest artists, conductor Juraj Valčuha and violinist James Ehnes, presenting works new and old. Although not necessarily soaring beyond expectations, Valčuha and the Orchestra crafted a variety of string performances worth listening to.

The concert opened with not one, but two works by Jessie Montgomery. Her Voodoo Dolls for string quintet was inspired by West African drumming patterns, blues, and jazz. The rhythmic low end and expressive slides in the upper strings elevated the performance beyond notes on a page. Violinists Helen Chang Haertzen and Sophia Mockler, violist Gareth Zehngut, cellist Erik Wheeler, and bassist David Williamson displayed fantastic visual energy, matching the tone of the music, and were well coordinated and dynamically balanced.

Nils Frahm, a classically-trained pianist turned contemporary electronic artist and producer, is no stranger to the power of several keyboards and tape players. His latest live album, Tripping with Nils Frahm, recorded in December of 2018 at Funkhaus Berlin and released on December 3, 2020, captures the best of his character in a mesmerizing work digestible in just over an hour.

Opening with a drone on a keyboard, “Enters” grows slowly, with layers of other textures on top to create long, simple, but powerful chords. Similarly, the following track, “Sunson” begins with an ambient and acoustic sound, but gradually builds with a rhythmic sawtooth-edged synth fading in and taking over. Frahm draws his audience in closer with every tap of a key or switch.