Location: Ljubljana, Cankarjev Dom
Concert date: 05.11.2007
Attendance: 150
Ticket price: 6'50 to 14'50 EUR
Even before I headed out to the Mephista show, I had a hunch this would be a band that’s big on experimenting, since the members come out of John Zorn’s school. Some people in the crowd clearly weren’t expecting this kind of gig, because quite a few of them walked out after just a few minutes. I don’t get why someone goes to a concert and pays for a ticket without knowing what they’re getting into. Maybe some people are just adventurous and don’t mind spending money on shows by bands they’ve never heard of. I kind of knew what was coming, though I admit that this level of experimentation was hard to predict.
Mephista play music that’s hard for me to describe. Sometimes it’s experimental avant-garde jazz, sometimes avant-garde classical. There were interesting effects throughout, produced by a former member of several John Zorn projects. The effects were fairly monotonous and inorganic, from electronic water sounds to all kinds of unnatural “natural” noises.
Mephista is an all-female trio made up of three musicians: Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Susie Ibarra on drums and percussion, and Ikue Mori on laptop and electronics. All three delivered. The pianist didn’t just hammer on the keys, she also struck and plucked the strings, tapping into the full sonic potential of this magnificent instrument. The drummer didn’t stick to the drums either, she used every kind of percussion going. When she played the wilder jazzy sections, you could tell she’s a superb drummer, but otherwise her sound was built more on locking in with the piano and the other sonic effects. And last but not least, Ikue Mori on the laptop. She accompanied the piano and percussion with all sorts of effects throughout, which were interesting and built a certain sonic backdrop, but they weren’t varied enough. It was all more or less based on one basic sound that went through various variations over the course of the show.
The sounds the ladies coaxed out of the piano, drums, percussion and laptop are enviable, but there was no real melody. I admit I’m pretty limited when it comes to education in experimental jazz and classical, and maybe that’s exactly why I couldn’t get properly into the performance of these three very talented women. The music was certainly very interesting to me, but experimentation alone isn’t enough to make a satisfying gig for me.
After the show, we could walk up to the stage, where the members of Mephisto were selling their CDs and chatting with the audience. It’s great to see a band that approachable. The CD price was a very reasonable ten euros, which only shows how weak the dollar is against the euro, and that CDs are cheaper in the United States.
Mephista is music that makes you think, music that stimulates the brain. If you want to hear this kind of music, you have to use your intelligence, and from that angle I have a lot of respect for the band. Unfortunately, after the show my heart and soul were left unsatisfied. I would have liked to hear a few more melodies, something more tangible and warm. At the end of the day, I’m a rocker at heart.
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