AMON TOBIN at the Opera House (735 Queen East), Sunday (October 23), doors 9 pm. $35. PDR, RT, SS, TW. See listing.
Experimental drum ‘n’ bass pioneer Amon Tobin is in L.A. preparing for the second leg of his North American tour for his most recent album, ISAM (Ninja Tune).
The shows are more ambitious than the traditional no-frills DJ appearances he was once known for. Even before ISAM came out in May, a complicated shape-shifting stage set was in the making, involving custom technology and numerous collaborators.
As Tobin explains, the cerebral nature of his new material required a different approach to performance.
“Touring this album as a DJ was never going to work because it’s not about making people’s feet move. It’s about what’s possible with sound. I had to think differently about how I would share it with people.
“I didn’t see myself physically as an important part of the equation. Why would people need to see me fiddling with a patch bay and twiddling knobs? So I decided to accept that and make myself a very small part of the show. I’m controlling everything, but I’m not the visual focus.”
In addition to the set’s moving parts and the video projections, Tobin is bringing a heavy-duty sound system to many of the gigs to ensure we get the full aural effect.
On ISAM, artfully deconstructed field recordings replace the mangled samples he worked with in the 90s. He’s traded in crate-digging for turning everyday sounds into abstract ones that can be controlled like synthesizers. But he still knows how to summon up a subwoofer-destroying bass line when he needs to.
“I certainly hope we’re bringing the sound system up to Toronto. I’m great at putting this tour further and further into debt, but I really believe in that aural aspect. The experience is so much about sound, and while a lot of venues have decent systems, it’s very different from having your own that you know well.”
benjaminb@nowtoronto.com
