Those present at November's Brainwaves who witnessed Troum's mindblowing set who have been seeking more music from them that resembled their set that night can stop here. Reviewing the videos from Brainwaves it's all clear now that Shutûn is undoubtedly the piece performed that night. For those unfortunate enough to miss out, a large portion of this performance is actually available now on the video podcast.
While the live set at Brainwaves was billed as Troum, it was more accurately Troum & All Sides. Troum is Martin Gitschel (aka the Glit(s)ch) and Stefan Knappe (aka BarakaH) while All Sides is Nina Kernicke. Shutûn, however, makes me fondly recall Sen, the Mort Aux Vaches CD from 1999, which was the first Troum album I truly fell madly in love with. Like Sen, Shutûn is one long piece with numerous movements.
After experiencing their performance live in person and going through the videos now, I feel both special and spoiled by witnessing how their music comes together. The arsenal of gear in tow is exciting, especially as Troum are tagged with the "drone" label (and of course, they're partially to blame as the label they operate is Drone Records), however, it's never as boring or uninspiring as some of the biggest drone names, and their show won't consist of two dudes standing motionless (or posing) with guitars for long stretches playing the same chord for an entire set. On Shutûn, Martin begins with vocals alone, run through a careful chain of effects, reverberating as if in a long, dark, hollow hall. A faint guitar loop is added, providing the initial pulse of the song. Martin's vocals become more prominent as he sings through a saturation of slow effects which transform his into a chorus of godlike voices. Nina of All Sides and Stefan join in with their guitars for a rich, anthemic progression, which eventually quells down to a murky interlude.
Like their great recordings, Shutûn is a time bender. By the time this quiet break arrives, it's shocking to find out that nearly a half hour has passed. Here in the depths, Nina and Stefan have hung up their guitars and have resorted to making sounds with some of the various hand held unidentifiable objects. Martin is twisting knobs to let the sources decay and create new sources and even adds the sound of a harmonica (which is completely unidentifiable). Eventually a new pulse comes back prominently and vocals are reintroduced. By hearing the disc alone, it's hard to tell if they're vocals, as they've been distorted and destroyed by delays to the point of unrecognition. Then come the screams, predominantly provided by Nina. People at Brainwaves will remember the screams. Only at loud volumes are they even remotely piercing but they were truly memorable. It's like the sound of the condemned souls trying to escape hell.
The final movement is marked by a heartbeat pulse and another anthemic guitar progression, guitars once again provided by both Nina and Stefan. Martin soon joines with a mandolin to provide the shimmering overtones. The sound is rich, thick, and nothing short of inspirational. The visuals behind them of strobed blueness, flashing jellyfish, and the deep sea were perfectly appropriate for this. Although this movement of the piece is available to watch on the Brainwashed Video Podcast right now and a DVD of this will hopefully be available soon, nothing beats being there in person, with the sound resonating from all around. It's no wonder the audience was breathless for this entire set. This is a memory I hope to have for a long, long time and I'm so thankful this CD exists.
More people need to witness Troum live as they are a fantastic group who deserves every bit of praise. Go watch the video now if you weren't there.
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