Live Review: Xiu Xiu, Sarah Davachi

By the time Sarah Davachi checks in with us much of the crowd gathered here tonight have seated themselves on the floor, cross legged and other assorted poses of recline. They rise to their feet for Davachi but it would be wiser to remain on the floor and allow her hypnotic ambient tones to massage us into deeper comatose states. Applying a myriad of effects to a white Arp Odyssey, Davachi fashions a series of drones into a kind of abstract noise that has the fluffy formlessness of drifting clouds. The mix ebbs and flows in a state of constant evolution, shifting from heavy and weird to soft and meditative. The classic trance sound of the Odyssey cuts through the jam that meanders its way through 40 minutes before fading into silence. Many in the crowd awake from their meditations and upon opening their eyes applaud Davachi. Unsure what to do with this applause, Davachi awkwardly nods and smiles before quietly saying "thank you" and leaving the stage.

The ceiling to floor red velvet curtains of The Substation feel entirely appropriate for tonight's Xiu Xiu show which will celebrate the music of Twin Peaks. The trio, commissioned by Queensland's Gallery Of Modern Art back in 2015 to soundtrack the David Lynch exhibition Between Two Worlds, produced what has widely been lauded as some of their finest work. Given the buzz surrounding the release of the third season, Xiu Xiu have perfectly timed their descent into the surreal and sinister world of Twin Peaks. While Angelo Badalamenti's score was a smooth but experimental blend of vintage pop and cocktail lounge jazz, this evening Xiu Xiu deliver a dissonant take on Badalamenti's themes. Looking dreadfully bored, Angela Seo introduces the sweet glide of Laura Palmer's Theme on her electric piano. Jamie Stewart - possessed by the spirit of mad serial killer Bob - punctuates the tune with murderously violent hits on the band's drum kit.

Xiu Xiu's approach to this music acknowledges the beauty of Badalamenti's score but turns the dark brooding edges of the originals into something that's altogether more violent and visceral. Stewart's vocals have always been a bit of an acquired taste. His deranged take on the powerful Sycamore Tree feels like a misstep, but there seems to be merit in stripping out the tingly loved up feelings of Falling such that the screeching crescendo around the lyric 'falling in love' feels like a pretty bleak nightmare. It's Stewart's guitar, distorted through a selection of pedals that - although drowning in plenty of white noise - deals the glimmering chords and melodies of these tunes. Shayna Dunkelman gets to play the part of Laura Palmer, revealing secrets from her diary, but otherwise drums up a storm on Packard's Vibration or just smashes out intricate swirls of metallic sound on her vibraphone. Tending towards the dissonant, Xiu Xiu's take on the music from Twin Peaks more explicitly spells out the menace and melodrama that is more implied in the show's score.