Arca - ICA, London, 27/11/2014

Xen, Arca’s excellent full-length debut, and arguably standout electronic release of 2014, serves as a perfect example of deconstructivism within music. Characterized by its unpredictability and controlled chaos, fragmented synths avulse from hard beats, while softer sounds dissolve and decay. Elements of R&B, Hip-Hop and even classical music are distorted and dislocated to create a bewildering experience. While much of 2014’s electronic landscape can be likened to the perfect Lego house, built with the expected blocks in perfect instructed order to create the expected product, Arca’s Xen tore the instructions, chose Lego blocks from a variety of sets, and instead of creating the expected, created a magnificent brutalist structure. And for segments of the performance at the ICA, one was fully at the will to the loud, incomprehensible beats and rhythms that featured on Xen. "Bullet Chained" for example, with its buzzing synths and crushing drums was a uniquely visceral and punishing affair. Partnered alongside a frantic visual of a pulsating uvula and a voyage past, presumably androgynous alter ego Xen’s soft palate, down into the tracheal/oesophageal lumen, it was a haunting and exhilarating experience. The viper-call of "Tongue", played loud, underlined further what those standing within the ICA already knew – Arca is a unique talent as a producer.

Conceptually and thematically the show delved deep within the realms of opposites and juxtaposition. Musical juxtaposition was littered throughout the setlist. At points there would be these hard, muscular beats found amongst blisteringly controlled chaos, to be immediately followed by elements of beauty and fragility. "Sad Bitch" was wonderfully realized amongst the chaos, with Arca taking to a keyboard to recreate those synths that cascade freely on record and re-captured the inherent sadness found within the track’s melodies. Toying with opposites and juxtaposition was not limited however to discrete set list choices, but often opposite elements would vividly collide within tracks to create an oxymoronic audiovisual experience. For example, Arca delivered an angelic choral vocal that was matched with an unforgettably grotesque visual of a fungating and highly sexualized Xen.

While converse elements were forced amongst each other audio-visually, the greatest juxtaposition lay within the relationship directly between the performer (and appearance of) and the art on display. Aggressive Spanish rap, raps about “pussy” and antagonistic sounds and melodies were tempered and performed by a gyrating Ghersi, clad in glittered boots, red crop top, skirt and bondage straps. It made for an interesting meditation on masculinity, femininity and androgyny, themes found already in much of the accompanying visual work to Arca’s music. The aformentioned intense Spanish rap also made for a set highlight.

But amongst the clever conceptual elements and the sheer forward thinking of the music, there was an amateurish element to the show, which at points could not be forgiven. Taking to the stage, Arca opened with a series of awkward samples triggered from what looked like Pioneer CDJs. This opening in particular lacked the grace and intensity of the music found on previous EPs or on Xen itself. On numerous occasions samples were triggered out of time over backing tracks leading to a jarring experience, hindering the intricate compositions greatly. Furthermore, there were points at which the music was transformed to its detriment. The moving and cinematic "Wound", which closed the show, saw gorgeous strings forcibly placed aside double-bass drums more akin to metal. As interesting as the collision of styles and genres was, the show closed as somewhat of a mess.

In the context of the live setting, Ghersi himself lacks consistency and coherence as a performer. At times he is intense and disarming, especially during the moments where he spat venom in his native tongue. Yet hidden behind a barrier, which housed his decks and samplers, he limited a potential connection between audience and artist. And unfortunately for the majority of occasions where he then ventured to the front of the stage, he lacked the necessary performance qualities to break metaphysical barriers. For example, while singing a weak falsetto without visuals behind him, there was an entire period of disengagement between audience and performer, leading to rather stunted and muted recognition. The greatest criticism at this point as well was that Kanda’s work was truly missed. And while his appearance in drag and bondage had interesting connotations, to remain semi-hidden for the vast part of the set defeated its point. His statement on gender identity and sexuality lacked in comparison to other recent artistic explorations on a similar subject matter. For example it lacked the mystery and fun of SOPHIE’s Boiler Room appearance, neither did it have the elegance or poise of Perfume Genius’ appearance on Letterman. If anything, it felt rather contrived.

There is an argument to be made therefore that the true star of the show was not Arca, but Kanda’s visuals. Cast upon a giant white screen, one found it difficult to avert their eyes from the visceral imagery projected, which burnt deeply onto the retina of the viewer. The androgynous, alter ego featured prominently, as the videos for "Thievery" and "Xen" were played out in full. But constantly throughout the show, Kanda distorted and tempered form to the music in such a way that it defied belief. One could find grace and predatory instinct within break-dancing figures for example. But when not playing with form and the boundaries of sexuality and the grotesque, the images continued to match Arca’s sonics. Video footage of seemingly the retina through aggressive fundoscopy was strobed on screen, while Xen appeared from the centre of the optic disc. "Now You Know" featured the visuals of fireworks racing and exploding in time with sample crashes and arpeggiated synths. A brief ambient interlude before "Xen" saw an exploration of landscapes and potentially the skin of Xen, in a manner that saw the visuals similar to pictorial representations of sharp neon-white mitochondria.

It is interesting to contrast how Arca chose to realize his music within the live setting to how FKA Twigs brought to life "Lights On" (one of Arca’s production efforts on LP1) within her live shows. Flanked by three musicians, Arca’s intricate production was performed with a sense of precision and sophistication at Twig’s show. Arca, on the other hand chose to follow a similar set-up to many current-day electronic musicians with laptop, controllers and decks. This, in a way, may have limited his scope and ability to recreate his uncompromising vision in the live setting. While there is nothing entirely wrong with the use of playback, especially when the visuals are that mesmerizing, there may be a case for the fact that his music may be more suited to installation work rather than pandering to the necessities of live performance. The symbiotic relationship, crystallized by the show at the ICA, between the visuals and the music will allow for this. By definition, however, symbiosis implies interdependence and while the two meet in equilibrium when presented online in an audiovisual manner, the live context shifts equilibrium and dependence towards Kanda’s visual work, leaving Arca as a performer lingering. The music is there…the visuals are there…the performer however is not.