15 June 2010 (gig)
14 July 2010
Welcome to the futuristic world of Chrome Hoof, a 12-piece band that looks a fusion of space-age knight templars and intergalactic tribal warriors (though really, they’re from South London).
As for the hardcore techno sound, that’s even more futuristic and intriguing, for it is far more than ‘ordinary’ techno. An odd concoction comprised of heavy percussions, pounding bass and guitar rhythms, staccato violins, oboe, horns and synths – it’s leading lady Lola Olafisoye whose appearance and singing voice should land her a role in a future Star Trek movie.
Movies, ah yes. A recent movie-themed evening had the entire band play a mini-set of six tracks, and the movie was of course a SciFi classic, namely Blade Runner! The hugely successful ‘Secret Cinema’ had hosted yet another one of their events in a secret warehouse location in Canary Wharf. The entire China Town set from the movie was re-created, with countless actors posing as various characters from Blade Runner. In addition, different playrooms entertained guests with various acts and performers, and one of the acts was Chrome Hoof.
Opener ‘Chrystaline’ is a mixture of fierce techno beats combined with string arrangements (echoes of Philip Glass ring through), while during the second half, horns are used to good effect. Lola’s voice sounded more like a sorceress shouting spells into galaxies and yet, it all blended well.
One of the more complex numbers was ‘Pronoid’, though taking into account that we’re talking twelve band members, all numbers have got to be complex! Extremely percussion-driven, the track was complimented by Lola’s incredible voice (think Grace Jones with occasional high-pitched shrieks a la Klaus Nomi). This was set off against a hard bass / guitar sound and to top it all, experimental Sci-Fi funk tunes were thrown in (imagine George Clinto/Parliament in the year 2040).
The crowd clearly loved it; then again, venue and surroundings provided the perfect occasion. ‘Tonyte’ delivered fierce hardcore techno that’s partly softened by jazzy funk beats, only to get edgy again with fast and choppy percussions, horns, violins and a guitar sound that pounds disco-metal. The first part of the number is purely instrumental btw, with Lola’s voice kicking in halfway through. In fact, her singing is broken up by purely instrumental stretches on most of the compositions.
Other numbers performed were ‘One Day’, ‘Towards Zero’, ‘Mental Peptides’ and ‘Bunker’s Paradise’ (or bonkers paradise…). Chrome Hoof is an extremely theatrical band and perfectly suited to a scene favoured by cyber fetishists. They are more than just a gimmick and no doubt inventive when it comes to churning out unusual music, however, in order to appreciate an entire concert one would be advised to time travel first.
The band has just released their second album ‘Crush Depth’ via Southern Records.
