Recluse All Dayer (Review)

Recluse, up to recently, was a monthly night that took place at The Fleapit on Columbia Road, East London. Specialising in electroacoustic music, the event has attracted the likes of Isnaj Dui, Clorinde and Honey To Ashes. With a change in set up to its once resident venue, Recluse now hosts one off shows which appear to have been a positive move by the organisers, allowing for a stronger and more varied roster of artists. Last Sunday, we paid a trip to the Wilmington Arms by Exmouth Market for the Recluse All Dayer which provided an exhaustive array of electronic musicianship.

Taking place in a small, but decently sized gig space adjacent to the main pub, a scattering of bar stools allowed audience members wishing to sit a means to do so, while a tidy bar space was available for those seeking refreshments. The main stage, although petite, housed an array of analogue and digital equipment as well as a screen which reflected visuals from a projector.

Among the list of musicians playing was opening act Katie English, who stepped away from her Isnaj Dui alias to perform as Burning Zoo. Creating a looped beat from her microphone and combining it with a blend of dreamy, ambient flute and a self titled ‘electro-dulcimer’ the meditative qualities of her set were a theme explored throughout the day. Tom White processed electric guitar through analogue equipment to create ghostly soundscapes that merged well with glitches, clicks, drones and bells while Denmark’s Peter Jorgensen weaved an effervescent concoction of ambient noise.

Between sets a DJ was on hand to spin some tracks while the crowd very much locked in Sunday banter were able to converse and joke. There was a homely quality about much of the day with little need for sound checks as each act readied their own equipment just minutes prior to performing. This did mean that there were some imperfections during the performances with the speakers often breaking into heavy reverb or the projector being blocked by laptops or instruments. However this only seemed to add to the charm of an event that also included musicians such as Ten, Hybernation, Rome Pays Off, Vlk and Katzgraben.

The first twenty guests were entitled to a homemade CD of Recluse music and it was these small touches that contributed to an enjoyable and alternative close to the weekend. With the Recluse All Dayer the first Recluse night in its new ‘one off’ guise, we greatly anticipate what they have in store for future events.

- Review by Josh Atkin for Fluid Radio