Hot Chip + Cadence Weapon @ Lambi

On March 14th, at Lambi, some eagerly awaited guests were performing.


The UK's HOT CHIP were in town, and some thick and sticky snow came down to greet them.

We entered the club around 10:30 and nobody was on, the place was half empty and it took AGES to get our coats checked. (I think that Lambi can safely compete in the "slowest coat check" category... and win. There's one guy, he's awfully un-hurried, really cold to guys and nice to chicks, and he sweats like crazy. Go figure.)

Born Ruffians, three guys from Toronto - and actually quite a good band - soon took over the stage. Not too many people were dancing, but the music was great - nice hooks, hand claps, entertaining riffs, and the guys were all pretty thin & tall. Then came Cadence Weapon, a hip hop act that really didn't get me going. To be honest, I was next door eating shish taouk when they began their set, and I was only back for the last few songs, but their simplistic structures, pre-schoolish melodies, and probably-stolen-or-sampled instrumentations left me quite cold. The DJ was scratching the night away, and that was OK, but otherwise, I got bored big time.

The Wandworth, UK, band Hot Chip knew how to wake me up. I'm not too familiar with their material - been listening to their COMING ON STRONG album for a few months, and I just got their new THE WARNING last week - but I know the hit singles : Just Like We (Breakdown) has been remixed to great effect by the DFA - with an overpowered emotional effect - and Over & Over has even been included, remixed by Naum Gabo of course, in Felix da Housecat's set when he played Aria last week.



Unfortunately, Hot Chip's drummer wasn't there - I don't know if he's absent from the whole North American tour or if he only missed our city - so they had to rely on drum patterns that were often piercing our ears, being incredibly loud. That meant that the songs were more dancy, but it also meant that they didn't play for very long. Just Like We (Breakdown) was nowhere to be heard, and it almost broke my heart. But yet - something was pleasing and a kinda warmth could be felt from the Hot Chips. Even if singer Alexis Taylor is about 5 feet tall, he has such a powerful and melodic voice, and the band's legendary tightness made it all worthwile.



Future pop is just that - a mix of various styles and influences all expertly blended into a flux that's "Coming on Strong" from every direction. Hot Chip is personal and public, pop and unpop, and is everything but boring. Don't miss 'em next time they're in town - they'll be big.

Hot Chip's web site can be found here.