November 10, 2000

/ Echoboy Edinburgh The Venue

STRONG>Echoboy's crazed musical propositions still make for an almighty headfuck....

In a night dedicated to complex sonic equations, Echoboy's crazed musical propositions still make for an almighty headfuck. Richard Warren may have fled hobnailed trad-rockers The Hybirds to set out his space-boogie stall, but that band's baggy essence may still be detected in Echoboy's leaping, lysergic grooves.

It's a mad mix for sure but, despite the slightest hint of muso self-indulgence, the 'Boy pull it off with aplomb. Recent single 'Telstar Recovery', for example, explores the outer limits of Pink Floyd's space-rock allotment, while vocoderised hop 'Kit And Holly' displays a perfect grasp of '80s robo-pop dynamics. Tonight, Warren and co's inscrutable racket comes pretty damn close to full-on cosmic ecstasy.

Add N To (X) are, on the other hand, entirely free of extraneous trappings. Indeed, their futuristic oeuvre is so stripped down, you can almost spot the chrome tendons rippling beneath their brilliantly realised, art-rock posturing. Where once the Adds' machine was blighted by a self-conscious po-facery, latest album 'Add Insult To Injury', sees them morph into hilarious, dextrous perv-boffins.

So, tonight, we get glam frontlady Ann seductively caressing a theramin, topless organ-mangler Barry simulating naked sex with what looks like a car engine, and oodles of hot-off-the-press krautrockin' avant-brilliance, like fab new single 'Plug Me In'. It's The Nutty Professor meets Flesh Gordon. It's completely daft and utterly, fantastically rock'n'roll. Who would have thought maths could be so much fun?

Sarah Dempster