APPARAT ORGAN QUARTET play the Garrison Wednesday (March 20), the Drake Hotel March 22 and the Hoxton March 23. All shows part of CMF. Rating: NNN
Iceland’s Apparat Organ Quartet were originally formed by minimalist composer Johann Johannsson in 1999 simply because he wanted to hear what Steve Reich’s Four Organs piece sounded like played live. Despite those origins, the music the group has become known for is indisputably fun, and more than a little lighthearted. The antiquated electronics and playful attitude often evoke Kraftwerk, but the pounding live drums and big melodies push things closer to post-rock – with a sense of humour generally missing from that genre.
It’s novel to hear primarily synthesizer-based music played by hand instead of sequenced, gently challenging our ideas about what electronic music actually is. Even though all the vocals are fed through a vocoder, the grooves are more human than anything on a Daft Punk album. On the downside, the compositions have absolutely no emotional weight. The approach is undeniably unique, though, and they’re one of the few keyboard bands that are fun to headbang to.
Top track: Macht Parat Den Apparat
