After giving a big hug to Data Plan, who preceded him on the decks, Rhyw takes over the Piknik Électronik National Bank stage for the special Mutek show. He got off to a gentle start before picking up the pace a few minutes later. The rain didn’t affect Rhyw’s set, which benefited from late-night sunshine and an ever-growing crowd as the evening progressed.
He soon begins to dance, as his movements on the console become increasingly brusque, setting the tone for what’s to come at the close of Mutek. The crowd doesn’t seem to have noticed the change of DJ and continues to dance as if nothing had happened, but a small group of Rhyw fans have stepped forward to cheer on their artist. We quickly switch to techno, house, with a few recorded voices heard here and there. Welsh-Greek electronic music producer Rhyw is famous for his bold, complex sounds. Mystical noises are sometimes heard, in an unknown language, blending synths and inviting travel. The same synth rhythm recurs several times, but accompanied by different rhythms each time. In short, he builds around the synth. He takes advantage of the breaks to change the rhythm and start again with a completely different, more danceable sound.
He starts jumping up and down at times, so immersed is he in his world, and you can feel the decibel level soaring. In between sips and shy smiles at the crowd, he takes advantage of the pauses between songs to see how the audience reacts, before setting off again. We’re in full electro mode, with percussive rhythms adding to the sheen.
This former member of the influential duo Cassegrain has done well to pursue a solo career that sets him apart on the electro scene. He has performed at such esteemed venues and events as Berghain, Berlin Atonal and Boiler Room Tokyo, to name but a few.
Mixing broken beat, traditional and ultra-modern techno, he adds minimal yet robust structures to his wild sets that make you feel like you’re in an open-air disco. The predominantly young audience seemed to enjoy the performance, while a mother in her sixties and her daughter in her thirties shared a cigarette while shimmying to Rhyw’s sounds, and a father and his pre-teen daughter danced at the top of their lungs throughout the set.
His work has been described as “a dialogue between the physical and the abstract, inviting audiences to experience a sound that is as intellectually stimulating as it is visceral”. Last night, he delivered just that.
