Prepare for virgin beats coming to a venue near you, because this fall Prefuse 73, otherwise known to Wikipedians as Barcelona-based "intelligent dance music" (IDM) artist Guillermo Scott Herren, is boasting a fresh album. "Preparations" is number four for Herren, following on such Sufjanesque titles as "Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives." Black Cat's Friday night Prefuse showing came up against the mighty They Might Be Giants over at the District's 9:30 Club. Still, two fans at a local "Sexy Pilgrims and Indians" party told this writer that Prefuse/Herren's live sampling was going for a mere $15, and shouldn't be missed. Or should it?
Black Cat's Doors open at the crack of 9:00 PM, but an hour later School of Seven Bells is still pounding out their opening. Sidelong-glancing twin sisters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza provide insistent, high-strung vocals for the four-person jam band, also featured as a single on "Preparations." My complaint: in blending seemingly canned Prefuse beats underneath School's bells, "Class of 73 Bells" comes off sounding like an over-produced live track. It was also the first time I've seen a band member literally set aside a guitar in favor of rocking his laptop. Still, Ashlee Simpson nightmares aside, I did enjoy cleaner-sounding numbers from School.
Several low-res camera shots later, Prefuse/Herren himself takes the stage, sporting a knit cap, jeans, and a holstered digital phone that could have easily trounced my Motorola E815. Herren is not a man given to many words, in fact his message to an audience that has swollen to a couple of hundred amounts to "Thank you," and also the more concise, "Thanks." But what Herren doesn't say, he makes up for in crisp, crowd-tingling beats rounded out by a stand-in mystery drummer who truly brings his game.
Indie rock fans be warned: you won't be stolen away by the lyrics at this show. Instead, relish those beats. While Herren crosses arms, spins squelch dials, and cuts samples down to ribbons, it's the Prefuse drummer I lock eyes on. He has an uncanny feel for Herren's next move, and as one track layers on another, I find myself picturing a couple of old jazz hands rocking the house. Then, surprise! Herren gets on-stage help from Long Beach, Calif.-based Blank Blue. (Otherwise known as a handy IDM artist who might easily double as a GEICO Caveman.)
Later, as Prefuse's crew breaks down their gear, I ask the drummer about how his arms are holding up. "They're fine," he says, "but I could use a beer, man."
[melophobe planned on having a corresponding Boston writeup and high-res photos, but the photo pass fell through at the last moment. Very sad. -jjb]
