iLL
The number of bands has been proliferating exponentially since the dawn of rock and roll, and often these days you can find a band whose whole output reminds you of one song of a classic artist. iLL seems to be channeling The Doors' The End.
Actually, better than the Doors. I never really liked the Doors, and The End is particularly excruciating (I really don't think I've ever made it all the way through the song), but I like iLL. They're a Japanese group, formed in 1995, but they sing in English quite a bit. Even when singing in Japanese, their cadences don't really sound Japanese.
It was surprisingly crowded for their set, all the way over in the Orange court at a time when Iggy was headlining the Green stage. I guess iLL's spaced out mellowing is sort of the antithesis of Iggy anyway, so maybe it makes sense.
They have violin, cello, guitar, sometimes drums, and a Hammond-style keyboard. They hit me at the right time. I was going to catch a bit of their show and then race over to see Iggy (not that I'm a big fan, but it's Iggy after all), but when I heard the sublime intensity of what iLL was doing, I all but collapsed into an exhausted reverie. It was a lot like Sigur Ros's closing out the White Stage two years ago. There's so much high energy here that the opposite stands out.
There is an embankment at the back of the Orange court that is perfect for kicking back to something like this. I've got to give iLL credit: they gave me a few perfect moments at a time when they were sorely needed.
Reported by kern (2007.07.29 / 13:36)
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