Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us

Concert Review: Morton Subotnick, October 27, Al Green Theatre

Posted on
28 Oct 2023
by
Paul

The show starts at first with silence, followed by the sound of a single breath. Then another.

And so began the performance of electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick‘s latest piece, entitled As I Live and Breathe. An appropriate title as the bulk of the piece was made up of the sounds of Subotnick’s own breath and various other vocal utterances spoken into the mic and then, through some sort of synthesizer magic, transformed into something else entirely.

Billed as Subotnick’s final live performance in Canada, this was a unique and memorable show, with the 90 year old synth legend joined onstage by Berlin media artist Lillevan, who provided live video accompaniment during the set.

Starting out slowly, the music evolved throughout, beginning as an ambient drone before building to an epic and cathartic release in its final moments, with Lillevan’s visuals acting as a perfect accompaniment.

I overheard someone saying afterwards that they felt like they’d been transported to another world during the show and that’s as good a way as any to put it. Simply put, this was a brilliant performance.

PrevPreviousAlbum Review: Spiritual Jazz 14: Private (2023, Jazzman Records)
NextSong of the Day: Newmoon – Fading PhaseNext

SEARCH

FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter Flickr Foursquare Rss Inbox

THE PAST

Archives

TAGS

Tags
British Music Embassy (10) Canadian Music Fest (11) canadian music week (18) cmf (10) cmw (40) concert (9) el mocambo (9) fringe (26) Great Lake Swimmers (10) guelph (9) horseshoe tavern (23) hot docs (103) jazz (12) Joel Plaskett (10) jukebox the ghost (15) lee's palace (27) marina and the diamonds (10) Massive Attack (10) mod club (12) NXNE (94) of monsters and men (11) Phoenix (15) play reviews (11) Pulp (11) Roskilde Festival (16) rural alberta advantage (10) sharon van etten (10) suede (12) summerworks (34) SXSW (479) SXSW 2022 (11) SXSW 2024 (11) SXSW Online (18) the antlers (11) the cure (9) the national (10) the xx (11) Tokyo Police Club (9) Toronto (25) toronto fringe (14) Toronto Jazz Festival (55) turf (13) tweeview (10) Video (9) zeus (10)
The Panic Manual

We are a collective of individuals bringing you the latest in concert reviews, indie, britpop, Canadian, twee and all sorts of other music, movies, tv and everything else you like. Follow the manual to live a pleasant and fulfilling life.

All rights reserved