Recording: E-Saggila

Artist: E-Saggila

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at 918 Bathurst (The Music Gallery's X AVANT XII – Night 3), October 13, 2017.

E-Saggila - unknown

After an off-season of uncertainty and exiled from its home at St. George The Martyr Church, The Music Gallery has found refuge at 918 Bathurst. Vibewise, this has kept things in the same ballpark, with the new space sharing churchy origins and a wood-y acoustic space. The X Avant Festival was first big test for this arrangement of things, presenting four nights of shows there. More than ever, the linkages between the Festival's performances was in the overarching theme of "Resistance", rather than tracking any musical throughline.

The last-minute cancellation of headliner Chino Amobi left a gap in the night's lineup, but with its links to local music communities, the Music Gallery was able to find a worthy replacement on the day of the gig. Rita Mikhael's music mixes some noisier textures with techno, and her sounds projected quite authoritatively in 918's space. As is usual for me with this kind of music, I was most intrigued by the parts at the fringes of the set that were less beat-dependant, but even in the middle, the music's intensity (and the neon-afterimage visual accompaniment) kept this rather engaging.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!