NONSTOP | Dots+Loops
I must admit I am not the most well-versed person when it comes to styles of music. I listen to the music I like, and I let my Spotify Wrapped do the labelling once a year so I can sound kinda smart when talking to actual musicians (Jessie Ware was my top artist this year in case you were wondering). So, a “post-genre” music event did seem kind of snobby to me when I first encountered the term. It invoked nightmarish visions of incoherent and self-important pieces of noise that would not at all resemble music or sound performance. Luckily, Dots+Loops’ NONSTOP subverted that expectation and provided a selection of work that stimulated the senses in a dream-like way.
Image + cover image: Reuben Fenemore
After making our way to the second floor of the Newstead Brewery my plus one and I saw it had been transformed into something much more reminiscent of a gallery space. One end of the space teased a new age, deep house, nu disco fantasia and the other boasted of classical excellence and pristine technique. As we chose to sit somewhere central so we might experience the work at the intersection the festival sought to highlight.
Image: Reuben Fenemore
The way the stages were dressed clearly indicated that the metallic and the technological was entering into dialogue with the rustic and the organic. A dichotomy mirrored in the visual and sculptural art displayed in the space. While my plus one and I found the majority of the acts to be thought provoking and sonically delectable there were two strong standouts – admittedly they were the more traditional acts.
The RnB and Soul stylings of Poji + Sela Mahe (presented by Cre8tive Nations) were a welcome palette cleanser after a series of more abstract – but still deeply delightful – works. Poji’s vocals were creamy and silken, his lyrics heartfelt, and his compositions sway-inducing.
He has an easy charisma that enchanted the audience. He seems like the kind of guy you easily spend an afternoon by the sea in silence with and have a lovely time doing so. A quiet wisdom flows through all his work and was soothing to behold.
Image: Reuben Fenemore
Sela Mahe provided the performance of the night – at least in my opinion. Her vocals were striking and emotionally charged but performed with an ease that was truly mind-boggling. Most notable was her performance of Aretha Franklin’s Natural Woman as it left my jaw on the ground floor of the building and the rest of the audience demanding an encore. Her humility in the face of the audience’s praise a delightful quality that makes her even more worthy of her success. A truly divine performance.
Cigány Weaver was another act that really left their mark. First of all, that name is true genius, and their musical brilliance lives up to the standard that name sets. The group had so much fun playing together, and that glee was generously shared with the audience. Their music is light, flowing, intense, dramatic, and all-in-all hypnotic to listen to and see performed. Frontwoman Jo Davie was like a dryad bewitched by the music and given no choice but to sing. Violinist Gareth Mewes was an absolute rockstar with his mind-bending and finger-breaking solos.
Image: Reuben Fenemore
The only issue I take is with the band’s description of their style as being influenced by g*psy music on their website (because naturally I stalked them online after the festival) considering that word is a racial slur used to degrade the Romani people. However, it was good to see the festival program omit that term from the band’s bio. This set was another major highlight not just for me but for the audience. We danced and we clapped, and we laughed and that’s what good music should inspire in those who see it performed.
Despite starting a little late and taking some stops that tarnished the “nonstop” brand the festival sought to establish this performance series was well-curated and provided music lovers with a feast of classic and nouveau dishes to feed their souls with. The ebb and flow between classic and future sounds was so well balanced the similarities between the two became more apparent as the festival progressed. Almost as if we were guided through a showroom full of refurbished antiques and new things that had been aged so well, we could not tell the difference.
