It’s an oppressively muggy afternoon in Montreal, and the members of Staff Benda Bilili are gathered behind Club Soda for a pre-concert photo shoot. Across the road are two low-rent strip clubs; nearby, apparently, is a crack house; and security moves in as a belligerent, bleary-eyed street couple make a beeline for the band’s small catering table. Not the most salubrious of surroundings, but the musicians have seen worse — much, much worse.
With the advent of inexpensive software, just about anyone can make decent-sounding music on a computer. Performing one’s electronic opus, however, is another matter. Watching producers working laptops or triggering samplers on stage is as exciting as staring at an electronic simulation of paint drying. Until recently, computer wizards have had two ways to shake up their performances: video projection (which works best if you have a huge budget like Kraftwerk) or hiring people to play “real” instruments and/or sing. Tomorrow night, at Montreal’s Society for Arts and Technology, a group of electronic music producers will be presenting a third alternative: the use of new musical instruments which look as appealing as they sound.
Inkstain collects articles by Mike Doherty. Some have been tampered with since they were first published.