Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
A multi-media feast for the senses was promised and with this impossible to resist invitation ringing in ears, a trip to the rather gorgeous Sudbury Arts Centre was the destination for this Prog Rock nirvana.
Primarily known as the birthplace of Suffolk scowlers Cradle of Filth, the sleepy market town has seen the deconsecrated church at its very heart changed into an all-purpose venue and with its high vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows and perfect acoustics it’s become a wonderful place to enjoy all the arts have to offer. Newly refurbished, there couldn’t have been a more perfect space to immerse yourself in the wonders of an evening that brought sound and vision together in thrilling, life-enhancing four-dimensional glory.
Whilst the thrill of Dutch outfit Under The Surface was yet to come, the first thing that greeted those walking through the doors was a display of artwork by nearby resident and artistic legend Mark Wilkinson, images of Iron Maiden’s Eddie and Marillion’s Jester peering out from the walls. The man himself was there too, surrounded by his creations and his covers for the aforementioned bands, along with those for Fish and Judas Priest, dotted the interior along with specially created work for the night exhibited on giant canvasses. Eschewing the bland and soulless modernity of downloads, seeing these images reinforced the initial thrill of absorbing the artwork in its full glory on twelve inch or gatefold record sleeves, all that was pored over for hours as evocative and complimentary to the very music it wrapped around.
More visual stimulation was to come with a specially created twenty-five-minute film by David Lam and Hannah Thompson providing a fascinating and otherworldly introduction to Under The Surface, the beautifully shot and edited piece a tantalising glimpse into their world. Mixing sweeping vistas of beaches and rivers alongside interview and fly-on-the-wall sections, the duo painted a picture of the band that asked more questions than it answered, but in that retained some of the mystique and captured more of a spirit than cold hard facts. When it rolls to its finish, the three band members quietly walk onto the stage and without fanfare start playing, the transition suitably seamless before the world explodes into a thousand colours for the next half hour.
To describe what Under The Surface do is like trying to grasp wisps of smoke, the ethereal juxtaposing with the feral as percussionist Joost Libaart, guitarist Bram Stadhouders and vocalist Sanne Rambags play a totally improvised piece. Performed with an almost psychic link between the trio, there’s touches of jazz and classical music in the forms that appear from the mist and with its constantly shifting shape the journey to its eventual conclusion was one shared by both performers and audience with equal discovery. Possibly the most astounding aspect about the piece was its way of connecting to the soul as well as the head, the ensemble giving each other space and never showboating purely for the sake of it.
Jagged but never discordant, the ebbs and flows uncoiled in mesmerising fashion as punchy percussion, quicksilver runs down the frets and vocals that went from yearning to something akin to primal screams as stunningly beautiful passages weaved through something more visceral. Eventually coalescing to a natural end, jaws were left dropped and there was a noticeable pause before a near rapturous response bubbled up from the audience, the mix of uncertainty as to whether the piece was actually completed and a sense of musical revelation of a whole new universe.
Coming back after a short break and joined by double bass player Nathan Wouters and multi-instrumentalist Annabel Laura on guitar, keys and vocals, the outfit played a more structured but equally breathtaking set with numbers hewn from their ‘Miin Triuwa’ release. With Wouters and Laura beefing up and occasionally adding gossamer layers to the sound, the resolve to stamp an individual identity on the music was an astute yet natural one, Rambags translating the lyrics into Old Dutch giving the whole a patina of the Medieval.
Always seeking and reaching for more as it spread its tendrils out, the music and playing were a siren song to the synapses, drawing all gathered there into an inexorable dance, the spell only broken when the last note was played, and the lights came back on. More than fulfilling its promise, the evening was unlike anything most there had ever experienced and was certainly something never to be forgotten as memories were destined long into the night and beyond. Truly incredible and utterly sublime.
𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔…
July 17 | SPECIAL SHOW: book, film & album presentation at Splendor, Amsterdam NL
July 18 | Rhapsody, Overlangel NL
July 20 | Wonderfeel Festival, Kortenhoef NL
Tickets via www.triounderthesurface.com/live
Pre order our book: www.triounderthesurface.com/order-the-book/
