LIVE REVIEW: Jon Hopkins @ LPR

Jon Hopkins LPR

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Jon Hopkins LPR Karen Gardiner
Jon Hopkins @ LPR. Photo by Karen Gardiner

Jon Hopkins may have been touring behind 2013’s Immunity for over a year but, judging by the line outside his sold out show at (le) Poisson Rouge last night, the people still want to hear this stunning album played live. The record made many critics’ year-end best-of lists, was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, and inspired such uncommon techno descriptors as “thoughtful” and “intelligent.” Indeed, the album’s mission goes beyond simply making you want to dance. The 60-minute record mirrors the narrative arc of a late night out; building to intensity in the first half, peaking with stand-out track “Collider,” before cooling down and spacing out in the second half.

Hopkins walked on stage sheepishly with a shy grin and a little wave before getting down to it. The smile and wave reappeared between tracks but otherwise, his eyes stayed turned down, dead serious – thick brows furrowed as if he was working out a particularly tricky equation – or rolled to the back of his head when infected by a beat.

Live, his set is largely built around Immunity, the tracks broken down and rebuilt from the ground up. He bounced between sound modulators, tapping at pads and punching in beats and drops. Confidently, he brought out heavy hitters “Open Eye Signal” and “Collider” early in the set, the latter marching in slowly, tense like the beats of a life support machine: synths steadily intensifying, halting vocals gasping for air. He teased the build-up more slowly than on record, cradling the audience in anticipation of the drop. We knew it was coming, but when?

When it did come, wave upon wave, I had anticipated bodies flailing much like the girl in the “Collider” video, but I looked around and the crowd seemed strangely … stiff. There was even a girl to the side of the stage asleep against the rail, for heaven’s sake.

As  the waves of “Collider” subsided, “Light Through Veins” (from 2009’s Insides) burst open in a great flash, finally getting the audience moving. There was no time for an ambient second-half come down – instead the set became more aggressive, more glitchy, and Hopkins, too seemed possessed, thrashing around as though struggling to contain a wild animal.

Barely an hour after he stepped on stage, and after a brief encore, he left us with a wash of coruscating noise. And then he was gone. “That was like church,” someone said wistfully as fans headed to the exit in a bit of a daze. And perhaps that’s why Immunity is still captivating audiences – Hopkins’ work exhibits not only a specific reverence to its form, but also that rare ability to transport listeners to a more spiritual plane.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

ALBUM REVIEW: Jon Hopkins – Immunity

ImmunityA protégé of Brian Eno is sure to be a success. Therefore, Jon Hopkins was. With multiple Mercury Prize nominations and many headlining artists knocking at his door, Hopkins has always been an innovator of looping ambient beats and, experimental conflicting sounds. Produced in under a year, Immunity showcases Hopkins’ true talent for providing a story, this one said to have been modeled after a night out. Subtle vibes of Trainspotting are sure to be sensed.

Immunity could be likened to Eno’s Small Craft On A Milk Sea (which he also helped co-produce) with its shimmering and clashing electronic beats and atmospheric vibrations. It’s an eight-track trip through Hopkins’ stewing mind. Immunity is a far cry from 2010’s Monsters, which is more like a movie score (something he is very much acquainted with). This album overall has an erratic and  vibe, kind of like a journey to find oneself, but not as lame. Because I have a weird penchant for timing in music and I notice these shenanigans right away, the time signature seems off through 97% of the album but it somehow works with the concept. Mismatched rhythms are an unchanging theme, especially prevalent on “Open Eye Signal,” a jagged sounding pill of a track akin to a comedown from drugs.  “Collider” reminds me of those songs you put on in the background to do things you couldn’t do without a repetitive flow, like studying or writing an album review (ahem). Most of the songs seem to stay steady and build up without a release, like a melodious tease, whose beauty one doesn’t mind being immersed in for a while.

Halfway through, the album makes a 180 with “Abandon Window.” A sporadic piano composition begins, surely conceived near a rain-streaked window in the afternoon, contemplating life’s faults and setbacks. That same undertone continues into the next track, “Form By Firelight,” which provides more of a beat and thus feels more tangible. The sweeping, nearly 10-minute-long closing title track wraps everything together with a tidy, piano-driven bow and makes you wonder how Eternal Sunshine For The Spotless Mind was made without it.

Jon Hopkins is a creator, that’s for sure. He can collaborate with the best of them (Coldplay, Eno, Imogen Heap to name a few) and turn out his own highly accredited albums. Immunity is surely a presentation of what’s on the horizon for Hopkins.

Hopkins is embarking on a world tour and making a stop in Manhattan at the Santos Party House on November 16th. Until then, catch the video for his single, “Open Eye”, here via Youtube.

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