- Node was originally formed in 1995 by four experienced industry professionals: acclaimed rock producers Flood and Ed Buller, Dave Bessell, a music technology academic with studio credits to his name, and Gary Stout, a musician and producer who had worked with the British band Suede among others. The group had a brief run, consisting of one LP and a few gigs. But the quality of the record, coupled the dramatic nature of the gigs (they once spent an entire day performing in Paddington station), meant that fans were keen for a follow-up album.
That album, called simply Node 2, took 19 years to materialise. In the aftermath of its release, Node announced their first London show in 17 years at the Royal College Of Music. Gary Stout had been replaced by Mel Wesson, a renowned Hollywood sound designer known for his work with Hans Zimmer, and the weight of expectation surrounding the show was high. Walking into the hall, my eyes were immediately drawn to the stage which was covered in a vast array of synthesisers.
According to the RCM's website, it was the "largest collection of vintage analogue synthesiser equipment ever seen outside a recording studio." Each member of the group appeared in charge of a full-sized modular cabinet, as well as four or five keyboards. LEDs ran across the sequencers and around the sides of the cabinets, lighting up like some kind of massive, geeky Christmas tree. The sight of them alone was awesome.
The music, too, was impressive, and surprisingly well-formed. The performance was split into two halves, each comprising two sections. Most of it was in line with their recent album, recalling the work of Berlin synth icons Tangerine Dream and Manuel Göttsching. While they played, visual designers Deepvisual projected psychedelic images of the synths and the band onto screens above them. The first and fourth sections were full of sequencer runs with spacious synth solos over the top, while the second and third sections were more ambient. The first half had a more melodic, straightforward bent to it, but by the time the show's climax had come around, the sequencer hits were bassier and the sounds more aggressive and abstract.
If anything, it was often too tidy: save for the closing section, it didn't feel innovative in the same way as their music from 20 years ago. Neither the quality of the music nor the show's length quite matched up to the story surrounding it, but the evening was nevertheless an enjoyable one, filled with technical skill and warm analogue textures.