Amid a forest of LED light batons, a sort of alternative Norwegian wood, eight-piece Scandinavian supergroup Jaga Jazzist delivered a set of astounding elemental power.
Kit drums thundered. Electronica cracked like lighting. Guitars, brass, keyboards and xylophone threw shapes that loomed, shifted and burst. This was liminal music, filtered through the interstices of jazz, techno and prog rock, sprinkled with moments of filigree delicacy but intense enough to blow the seated audience’s hair back. No matter that some tracks sounded like others, or that the odd longueur had you counting the arsenal of instruments on stage. When the tempo changing likes of One-Armed Bandit and Big City Music took off, the effect was transcendental.
“We love you London,” declared drummer-cum-hype man Martin Horntveth, standing to fist pump, click his sticks and bash a giant cymbal. The maelstrom that was encore, Oban — a highlight of the band’s recent Nina Tunes release, Starfire — had an overwrought beauty; Horntveth’s sister Line declaimed on tuba between hollering background vocals. Their brother Lars kept the sci-fi synths rolling. Synchronised lighting changed the batons from green to pink to rainbow. “This is super cool,” yelled Martin, lobbing souvenir T-shirts into the cheering crowd.
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