UTO emerges from the darkness of Cabaret de la Dernière Chance under UV lights, decked out in all white, their faces obscured by the contrast of the glow. The unrelenting experimental sonic profile of UTO precedes them, blending heavy synths, eclectic percussion, and distorted vocals with a Björk-like delivery. Their recordings are a tapestry of auricular exploration. Intrigue befalls the crowd as we take in the mysterious bodies weaving their way from the audience to the stage. Breaking out into semi-choreographed dance at times, standing and delivering at others.
The irregular dance breaks disrupted the natural flow of the performance as the audience themselves struggled to find their place in witnessing the spectacle. Attempts were made to create a performance as dynamic and interesting as their recordings. The ultimate effect, however, was not unlike tripping on Benadryl during a game of laser tag. The underdeveloped nature of the performance leaves much to be desired, but none more so than the desire to see these weirdos totally lose their shit on stage. Had the performance built to a sweaty, maximalist, lights-on crescendo, all would have been forgiven. The trouble with being a magnetically cool experimental music duo is the potential for emotional inaccessibility as displayed in this performance. This recital of intrepid musical exploration aches to be cut with thrashing vulnerability. As UTO continues to push musical boundaries as they have for over half a decade, I hope they work to find their emotional edge.
Performer shots: Jacob Zweig
Crowd shots: Julia Mela
