- It's been over a year since Apparat, AKA Sascha Ring, made his Melbourne debut. Since then he's released an album (The Devil's Walk) and nearly completed a world tour with the Apparat Band. The group was formed to add an acoustic element to the performance of the recently released album's tracks. As is the case with many live electronic outfits, you would be forgiven for expecting a set that is essentially made up of atmospheric electronic soundscapes overlaid with acoustic instruments and mournful vocals that, when combined, struggle to hold the attention of a live audience.
This was far from the case here. Although there were plenty of sneaker gazing types in attendance, the crowd's interest and enthusiasm never waned, reaching peaks with the more dance floor-friendly shuffle beats of "Rusty Nails" and "Arcadia," and the familiar tones of the album's standout tracks "Black Water," "Song of Los" and "Ash/Black Veil."
Photo credit: Zoe Spawton
Apparat's music is often described as melancholic. The songs the band played on the night were, on the whole, brooding and emotional, but there was also an ethereal beauty to the music that elevated it beyond the morose to something quite exquisite. Ring's voice was put to good effect, especially in the tracks where he used it more as another instrumental layer than a true vocal. It never felt weak or misplaced, even in the live setting.
Though Ring now plays with a live band and uses acoustic instruments, his sound still has, at its core, a very digital soul. This successful combining of the mechanic with the acoustic should keep anyone interested in dance floor-friendly electronic music more than happy. More importantly, the album and this live tour have seen Ring's music mature into something that is quite accomplished. I, for one, look forward to seeing where the Apparat sounds travels to next.