Keep Moving – Xani (Live At Fight Night Records)
It’s been a month since I saw Xani at The Recital Hall in Sydney, in support of John Cale. Those in attendance that I’ve spoken to were blown away by the lone figure on stage with her Irish jig footwork and extraordinary violin playing.
That night Xani produced a vast array of sounds from that tiny instrument. Of course, in a studio with multi-track recording, an artist doesn’t need the same level of complexity, timing and, in Xani’s case, looping. I suspect the songs in a studio setting came first and looping is a means of reproducing a wild tapestry of sounds when playing live.
The stunning part of this album is how, apart from a drummer, almost every other sound is Xani’s voice and violin. On occasion, she’ll bring in bass and guitar but overwhelmingly it’s a record built around a woman and her instrument.
“Cry” opens with a solid post-punk groove that’s relentless in its attack. The feel is alternative Euro-disco. The vocals feel like a narrative as they build; the violin flows and sweeps into wildness. As the counter melodies add tension, the beat is consistent. The violin is stunning.
“A Cups” starts powerfully and is dark. It has a sense of a military march as octaves are plucked. It has a nod to Kraftwerk with that mid-‘70s industrial air. It’s mechanical and bleak. The violin is pushed, using all sorts of effects and filters The drums are dramatic and almost metal.
“Dear Daughter” follows and imparts the sense that this is a very personal journey. Maybe some demons are being kept at bay by a strong vocal performance.
“Outrun” delves into gypsy melodies, occupying the same the space that fellow Melbourne act Tim Pan Orange did more than a decade ago. This is where the album moves from harsh sounds and creates a balance; it is a stunningly tender song drawing on Eastern European folk and gypsy balladeering. A stunning number.
“Keep Moving” is another nod to industrial sounds. The lyrics are a narrative and touching on a space where Marianne Faithfull dwelt. Justin Olsson’s drumming builds and adds a sense of drama. The effects add an eerie bite. There’s breathlessness and whispers.
“Nine Times Out of Ten” flirts with the sound of the Sugar Cubes laced with tension, minimalism and a relentless snare drum. The instrumentation again recalls Kraftwerk. Xani’s violin solo builds and is simply amazing. “Under Control” dips deeply into industrial and post-punk with some incredible layering of textures. The violin is warm and furiously dramatic.
The violin being utilised as a significant instrument over the last 50 years is not alien to me. Scarlet Rivera comes to mind, discovered by Bob Dylan when he was walking around the East Village. After hearing her play, he featured her on an album and tour. Her own solo albums were ground-breaking mixtures of hard rock and Celtic excursions,
Closer to home, Suzie Beauchamp in Madroom and Box The Jesuit took a flamboyant approach. She used effects to push boundaries. Suzie had an ability to make a violin sound on the edge, sharply dangerous like daggers.
Sometimes, great artists and albums just are handed to you and especially when they enlarge your perspective of music The expansiveness and range of sounds that can explored by the violin is something I had never fully appreciated. Mostly, I have seen the violin as part of a string section tor used in folk music. Xani is an artist who is pushing boundaries. Sure, she’s doing so with modern effects and looping. It can sound fairly obscure to your average music punter.
Xani is a mind-blowing talent: an elite musician who I can imagine started playing violin in infant’s school. She has a Masters from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music The elite musicians who I know from that world spend many hours a day in practice, exams and recitals. They focus their whole life on their craft.
It is when an artist like Xani can be fully creative and free and open to all sorts of music that we can hear pure artistry. Whether it’s John Cale or Phillip Glass, the outcome can produce music that’s challenging, well-crafted and experimental.
With Xani, there’s an array of textures and emotions on display. On this record, there is a sense of first-take improvisation, which gives it an edge. It ranges from the most icily cold, industrial post-punk to beautiful Eastern European melodies. Stunning.
3/4
