Live Review: Jónsi & Alex Somers

A headline act of the Dark Mofo 2019 festival program was a live performance of Jónsi Birgisson and Alex Somers’ seminal ambient album Riceboy Sleeps.

Having premiered the tenth-anniversary tour in Sydney at Vivid just days previously, Alex Somers introduced the evening with a caveat to the audience – the work was new, he said, presumably referring to the expansion from a string quartet in the original recording to an orchestra with strings, harp, woodwind and an extensive percussion ensemble. 

In retrospect there were times during the performance where the work did feel a little less confident than one would hope, but the fragile beauty of the album shone through and the audience responded warmly with a standing ovation at the set's conclusion. The album Riceboy Sleeps was originally created and recorded off-grid, it’s simplicity and delicate openness still sounding fresh and tender.

Hailing from Iceland, singer Jónsi Birginsson was the highlight, his clear countertenor voice steeped with delay to fill the concert hall. Both he and his partner Alex Somers played guitar and added recorded effects to the soundscape throughout, along with the quirky analogue Foley which gave the album its trademark style. Gordon Hamilton was masterful in his role conducting the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and TSO Chorus, leading the way and drawing the album to its destination with a sure hand. The final piece had a much darker feel and gave a hint as to the power of the music. The orchestra started to disband, walking off the stage steeped in smoke, providing a suitable chaotic ending to the ethereal end-of-world feel.