Mar 10, 2017 - For Beatroute BC. Review & interview by Hollie McGowan.
VANCOUVER – “I get lost in music in a very positive way,” reflects Anders Trentemoller in the artist lounge of Venue on a Friday night on Granville Street. “It’s my little dream world that I can escape to sometimes. I can also confront some things that are hard for me to describe with words. With music, there is a very easy and direct way to express my feelings. I don’t have to think too much about it. It’s not through the brain, it’s much more through your heart.”
Last September, Trentemoller released Fixion, the fourth album of his lengthy career as a musician originating back in the late 90s. Inside of Venue’s dark walls and lofty ceilings, the storied artist prepared himself for his 40th show on tour promoting his new album across two continents. “Every album is a little snap shot of where you are in your life,” he explains. “The post-punk sound was definitely an inspiration, but it wasn’t something that I planned; it was just something that happened. I like to try to be in the moment and see where the music leads me.”
Over the years, Trentemoller’s exploration of electronic music production led him to his refinement of the darkwave-inspired, techno-infused, krautrock-esque sound that his fans have come to know and love. Assembling themselves like sardines in a tin can, fans held onto every sound emited from the band as they played new tracks from Fixion as well as a few old timely gems.
On stage Trentemoller and the other musicians jammed flawlessly together, feeding off of each others energy like the individual limbs of a single body. While the music was decidedly moody, Trentemoller couldn’t have looked happier onstage. The emotional release of playing with his band mates clearly satisfied his appetite for performing the album that he had spent countless hours perfecting in his studio.
“It’s a very personal album because it [was just] me alone in the studio writing the music. It’s hard to put words to it and say what the ‘story’ was. It’s more about moods and atmospheres. Maybe something that you just can’t put words to. [Music] can mean a lot of different things to different listeners. If I tell people that the song is about this or that or whatever, I think that takes some of the magic out of it.”
