NORDIC GIANTS

VENUE THE GARAGE, LONDON DATE 25/02/2022

As society was forced in and out of lockdown, we were bombarded with the thought of what the “new normal” would be. It’s still not something we can confidently answer. However, the fact that Nordic Giants – post-rock’s most reliably awe-inspiring live band – are back on the road lends a soothing consistency to this otherwise unpredictable era.

Every show follows the same structure: two masked musicians – keyboardist Loki and drummer Rôka – playing blissful instrumentals with short films projected live. It’s a spectacle that’s made them darlings of the avantgarde music world. Such is the loyalty of their following, they even crowdfunded their new album, Symbiosis.

At a criminally not-sold-out Garage, the pair seize the stage in shadow. The warhorn from Planet Of The Apes marks their arrival, flaunting their blockbuster scope. Behind them, dioramas of ravens consume the hanging screen. Symbiosis opener Philosophy Of Mind ensues, its twirling keys and pounding percussion accompanied by animations of characters oppressed by modern technology.

From there, commentary on contemporary society becomes the theme, despite Nordic Giants’ largely lyric-less tunes. Convergence depicts a literal rat race: a hand-drawn rodent on a commute obsessed with products that promise happiness but ultimately leave him as hollow as before. Dark Clouds Mean War, meanwhile, shows businessmen resuming their daily lives as the world ends; not even meteorites falling from the sky can halt capitalism. The short was filmed pre-Covid, yet the pandemic has made it more powerful than ever.

There’s space for levity in Nordic Giants’ cinematic universe, though. For example, lluminate is backed by slapstick, with two undertakers trying to get a coffin to its grave undamaged. Similarly against the grain is Faceless. The piano ballad is thrust into the heavens by a rare but dramatic vocal performance, courtesy of Alex Hedley.

Although selections from Symbiosis dominate, classics do permeate the setlist. Through A Lens Darkly has long been a mainstay, but repeat listens don’t make it any easier to experience. Its video imagines an airless world devoid of atmosphere, forcing a family to brutally kill one another over oxygen tanks. More uplifting is Together, which places an invigorating classical melody beneath Martin Luther King Jr’s “Fierce Urgency Of Now” speech.

In a world where everything could fall through at a moment’s notice, Nordic Giants are unfailing. Whether it’s your first, second or even fifth time seeing them, you’re in for a cinematic and all-consuming escape, unifying the strengths of both experimental music and short-form filmmaking.