Live Review: STATUE’s Monument EP is all about atmosphere

Each week, we select one artist to feature as our Spotlight Artist. This week we've selected STATUE.

A drum kit is the natural habitat for Tom Gould. A member of Melbourne dance outfits NO ZU and WORLD’S END PRESS, STATUE is the musician’s latest venture. Sanctifying his aptitude for dance beats and quirky rhythms, Statue has released Monument, the second EP to come out of this project.

A galaxy of percussion, each track spirals with pulsations and palpitation. Just over 30 minutes of pure instrumental groove, the Monument EP is all about atmosphere.

Simplicity and complexity battle throughout the entirety of the track list. A whirlwind of sound and layers are a testament to the experience and technical prowess of Statue, whilst the gentle but succinct tempo makes for unspoiled background music, just right for your summer adventures. Monument is warm, and perhaps even a little humid, a myriad of competing layers and sound make for the structurally sound framework of the piece.

Opening up the EP is the fittingly titled track ‘Entrance’. Almost ten minutes in duration, ‘Entrance’ does not aim to heave you in and twirl you around. Instead, it is a reserved but convincing proposal, welcoming you with intrigue and restraint. Each individual layer and instrument is familiar to the listener, but the spirited and progressive way they are stacked is where the fun lies.

‘Admiration’ is the fizziest and funkiest of the tunes on the lineup. Repetitious in the best way possible, one solid groove sashays its way through the whole song. With rattle snake-like shimmies and bouncy percussion, ‘Admiration’ will have your head nodding before you even realise.

The title track ‘Monument’ will transport you into its tribal realm. An exploration of give and take, Statue plays with subtlety and musical climax. Trialling the more playful percussive sounds, whistles and chants are not gimmicky, instead they create a refreshing break from the technicality of the EP.

Statue’s selection for closing track is a remix of ‘Monument’ by Berlin-based producer MOSCOMAN. Using ‘Monument’ as a framework, experimental percussion remains at the heart and crux of the song. But Moscoman reinvents the architecture. Giving emphasis to certain sounds that Statue did not, the ‘Monument Remix’ is an intriguing exemplification of the power of artistic direction and taste. Moscoman takes the EP’s sound in a different direction, resonating with more trance-like beats.

Words by ABBEY LENTON

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