Though I can’t give any commentary on what Aislyn’s live show entailed before they added a drummer to the stage, I can certainly say that the addition of Joey Sulkowski was pretty damn amazing one. He was able to keep up with Sofia Degli Alessandri and Ian Hultquist to deliver an exciting set last night at Mercury Lounge. Overall, the musicianship the members was obvious, and their talents blended well. In the midst of Sofia’s tweaked and twisted playing of the keys, Ian and Josh kept in perfect sync, maintaining combinations and riffs that complimented each other flawlessly, providing a dynamic landscape during the budding band’s short set. Anchored by Sofia’s whimsical vocals, which she looped and affected, Aislyn’s harmonies provided by Ian were a fantastic mixture. With Sofia keeping a vibrant mixture of sounds and Ian domination of the bass, it’s obvious that this duo is expanding, growing, and getting better the more they play together.
To be totally honest, I’m generally not the leading fan of one man, one guitar, and multiple samples as a method of live performance. Even if it’s derived from same recordings found on the album, there’s nothing that can truly replace live instrumentation and musicians displaying their craft. Porcelain Raft may have changed my mind.
Perhaps it was how completely Mauro Remiddi controlled the mood and effect of his performance that drew me in. He owned his sounds, his swagger, and his presence over the audience. With pained expressions and an emotional connection, he would whisper, yell, and croon lyrics over a series of well-timed and well-crafted samples. There also seemed to be a richness to his sound that I don’t generally feel with pre-recorded tracks. While it may have been the mixture of his own live guitar, the full and dynamic feel of his performance was likely the result of his constant alteration of his sample mix while he was playing. In the end, he had a unique voice, the bass hit hard, and he was rocking the electric guitar in the midst of everything. Not much more I could ask for.
