Robin Rimbaud, the artist behind Scanner, began his 45-minute set on voice chatter reminiscent of his early releases such as ‘Scanner 1’, ‘Spore’ and ‘Sulfur, then switching to am ambient dual toned hum that developed into strained cavernous clanging and surging white noise electronics.
He added some vocals midway through against what sounded like a Microsoft computer chime, with chiming continuing as he explored an ambient landscape with frequency distortions. His set also saw fluttering wavelengths that turned into tribal beats.
Austrian producer Fennesz headlined the evening with a 50-minute set, beginning on a gushing waterfall of sound, then introducing the gentle guitar strokes of ‘Heliconia’ from his 2024 studio album ‘Mosaic’, which he played live. He continued to perform from his new album tracks that went from a mix of constant noise feedback with a throbbing drone bassline to the tubular orchestral symphony of sound in ‘Goniorizon’. Both sets filled the beautiful choice of venue with ambient sounds that sent the audience into a trance.
11/04/25: Scanner + Fennesz @ St James’ Church, London.
Photos © E. Gabriel Edvy/Blackswitch Labs.
© Ayisha Khan.