Aural Aggravation

Christopher Nosnibor

Over the course of the last eleven years, Emma Ruth Rundle has been busy, and has built a fair body of work in various forms, and her third solo album, On dark Horses has not only cemented her position with existing fans but also expanded her fan-base, resulting in tonight’s 400-plus capacity show close to a sell-out in advance.

It’s getting busy by the time Nottingham’s Dystopian Future Movies take the stage at 7:30, and on the strength of their releases to date and a strong set supporting Grave Lines at Wharf Chambers back in February, it’s not entirely surprising. The demographic spans a fair range of ages, but is characterised by long-haired gothy / hippie women and bearded hipster blokes. I swear they follow me around.

With a lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums, they’re a fairly conventional rock act, but their blend of post-rock, shoegaze and a dash of sludgy metal, they’re far from conventional musically. The set begins with an ethereal intro. The songs are defined by delicate, detailed, musicianship and spectacular crescendos, but they’re also liable to pulling back when least expected. With rolling drums and soaring vocals, ‘Countenance’ exploits the quiet / loud dynamic to the max. Their allure is not in the volume or force, but the threat, as if they’ve got a lot in reserve, simmering beneath the surface. And with grace and dynamic range, they’re a uniquely exciting act.

Dystopian Future Movies

It’s nice to see Jo Quail play a set that doesn’t start before the doors open (as was the case when she supported both Mono and Boris last year). She’s an artist who’s hard to place, but on a bill between Dystopian Future Movies and Emma Ruth Rundle, her brooding, turbulent cello works are a wonderful fit. Rapping out military tattoos and rolling thunder and sounds like nothing on earth, her mastery of her instrument is only matched by the passion with which she plays it. She opens with ‘White Salt Stag,’ and puts everything into her playing: hers is a very physical performance, which sees her channel the music through her body, while she conjures drama and otherworldly sound, layered upon layer of sound. It’s not quite going to plan for her technically with the looping, but it keeps it real and exciting. The third track of her set is ‘Reya Pavan’, the bonus track on the forthcoming Exsolve vinyl, which she’s performed (and by her admission, fucked up) only three times previously. It’s dark, spare, and brooding. She plays ‘Mandrel Cantus’ next, and it a bass throb and thrust with subsonic grooves and mewling top strings draped over an industrial rhythm. She finishes with ‘Adder Stone’, and it’s completely captivating.

Jo Quail

From the off, Emma Ruth Rundle and her band create captivating shoegaze cathedrals of sound, the likes of which have the power to evoke deep emotions. Despite being a solo artist, this is very much a band effort. The drummer looks particularly young, but they’re a tight unit. Watching the audience responses, it’s evident that for some, this is a deeply moving, spiritual experience. ‘So, Come’ hits a peak of near-transcendence. If she veers into vaguely emo territory at times, it’s actually okay. I wouldn’t normally say that, but she carries off those softer, more accessible moments with sincerity and the bursts of noise that characterise her set convey more than words ever could. Her delivery is disarmingly straightforward. She’s not big on between-song chat and mumbles a bit. And that’s okay. We’re here for the songs.

Emma Ruth Rundle

They depart – and swiftly return – in a tempest of noise to perform an encore consisting of the new single ‘You Don’t Need to Cry,’ before Emma performs ‘Real Big Sky’ solo. It’s an incredible moment, and as the lights come up, many remain rooted to the spot transfixed by the performance they’ve just witnessed. And when you see that, you know you’ve seen something special.