Karate

It's a Sunday night and you'd think everyone would be feeling lazy and in the mood for some super-atmospheric rock, hypnotic rhythms and all that (post?)jazz. But no! I mean, well yes...

Anyway, all that came after the intense-mesmerising-catchiness-yes of Polaris. I know nothing about this band other than they have some amazing songs that wiped me mind of thoughts. In a similar fashion to Karate, they have some hypnotically tuneful songs and pretty much blew everyone away.

Next came a stripped down but nevertheless Foggish Fog. I think by the end of his set he was pretty much ready to kill those in the outer-layer of the venue (as in, not those in the central core, much like the Earth’s crust) talking and talking and talking. The noise should have been of little significance but Oh My God it gets irritating, and if it marrs the minimalism of el Fog.

Filled with pretty little ditties from his 'Fog' album and also those unknown from the album to come, his songs have a beautiful irreverence for all things that you’d think would come along with his brand of turntabled-acoustic-mania that finds itself on Ninja Tune – y’know, pretentiousness etc etc, and he sings songs about being a baby for chrissakes! It’s all good. And the man can’t be anything but lauded with praise when he makes a song as great as 'Pnuemonia'.

By the time Karate come on I’m starting to feel ever so slightly sleepy. I (and I'd like to think millions of other people) often listen to Karate as a wind down from the day. But anyway, aside from their occasional over-dalliance with guitar noodlisms, Karate are Karate tonight – they play their beautiful songs from their back catalogue perfectly, thus enchanting the audience into a gentle sway and ended with my personal favourite, Sever off their second-to-last album, Unsolved. In fact, they played quite a few off this album, which is much much better than their latest offering.

All in all, a perfect pre-summer's Sunday with two excellent bands and a one-man-band; and the ability to sit down at one's whim. What more could you ask for?