Various Artists
Live @ Accelerator Festival (Day 2), Stockholm, 06/25/08
First of all, Fuck festivals.
Anyway, Battles we're amazing. Just really amazing. I want to have John Stanier's kids. I want to be in gay porn with Ian Williams. And, uuh... I want to have coffee and hang out with Tyondai Braxton. But I digress (I think).
On record they come across as this perfectionist machine with every sound in place. The live experience is different in the way that you see a breathing, living rock n'roll machine. Not everything is in its exact place here, but who cares? I just see them having an amazing time and it's very contagious. The most amazing thing about Battles live is to see how hard John Stanier is working. Somewhere in his mind I bet he's kicking himself for making up probably the most strenuous drumriffs in history and having to play them every night.
It was just crazy. It's also incredible how disconnected it is from everything else that's happening in music. These guys are in their own stratosphere here. It's primal in a way. It's basically distorted percussion, fucked up punk rock croumata if you will. since it's devoid of musical reference it all connects directly into the reptile brain and creates a communal experience based on instinct. Like I'm in the stone age and some tall Italian is playing on rocks and blowing everyone's mind. I mean, how does it look on paper? The drummer from Helmet? Wtf? A guy from Styx? I want to stalk them in food stores.
Also, other bands played.
- Mathias Rask-Andersen
