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Danes deliver music for the contemplative at heart
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July 6th, 2013
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Danish experimental indie band Efterklang staged a performance of the more relaxing sort at Roskilde’s Arena stage on Saturday
*** (3 out of 6 stars), July 6 at Arena
Roskilde’s third day of music is in full swing and the festival is ablaze with a brilliant orange feeling, aided no doubt by the soaring temperatures and the adrenaline-laden air of anticipation ahead of Metallica’s concert at the Orange Stage later tonight, which should be the apt antidote to many a Roskilde fan who may feel somewhat conned by pop diva Rihanna’s presence at a traditional rock festival.
With the sun high in the sky, I managed to catch Danish experimental indie rockers Efterklang at their afternoon show at Roskilde’s Arena stage. Rasmus Stolberg, Casper Clausen and Mads Brauer are the charming trio behind Efterklang, the Danish word for “remembrance” or “reverberation,” both of which are abundant throughout the band's music and live shows.
A dreamy show start that consisted initially of an almost purely vocal intro that soothed the crowd gently into the Efterklang ethos set the tone for what was never going to be a dance-friendly concert. Efterklang wooed the crowd with a blend of arty, contemplative content that, truth be told, is more at home on film scores and abstract art installations. For their fans though, and there were many, this seemed to be exactly the sort of poetic respite they’d been waiting for after a week in the primordial conditions of Roskilde Festival. Many simply shut their eyes and swayed gently to the celestial, ruminative combinations that Efterklang wove together with the elegance of a swan on still water. It was however apparent that others were all but bored by the afternoon’s proceedings, which perhaps didn’t match their expectations or band stereotypes.
Midway through the show, and with the crowd comfortably entranced, Efterklang gave a polite and well-versed thank you to the crowd, that soared above the usual “we love you all so much and this show is so special” routine cliche that too many musicians tend to embrace all too often. Efterklang complimented their gentlemanly gratitude by handing out festival memorabilia from their recent performance at a Dutch music festival before steering the show into its closing stages with a casual performance of ‘The Modern Drift’ one of their well-known tunes.
The still, almost dull silence present at the start of the show culminated in a colourful, complex end that had the crowd clapping and swaying in approval after a relaxing, soothing concert by Efterklang, who were performing for the fourth time at Roskilde.
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