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Alien life forms visit Newbury




Henge with support, Elf Traps, at Arlington Arts February 11 Review by BRIAN HARRINGTON

Elf Traps are a brand new duo. They play what might best be described as heavily jazz influenced, ambient instrumentals based around synths and drums.

One track flows in to the next without interruption and they are both extremely competent musicians. Think of a 21st-century Spirogyra with space age synthesizers.

Henge, picture Brian Harrington
Henge, picture Brian Harrington

Some more stage presence and, perhaps effects would have helped, but there was much to enjoy in this set.

Henge are quite literally, something else. Wacky and weird they describe their sound as ‘cosmic dross’ and their stage show is rooted in the concept that they are alien life forms visiting planet Earth. Formed in 2015 in Manchester their sound is electronica, crossover rock with rave and psychedelic influences.

They are hugely successful on the festivals circuit and it is easy to imagine them filling dance tents.

Henge, picture Brian Harrington
Henge, picture Brian Harrington

They clearly have a sizable following and it wasn’t long before the standing section was dancing enthusiastically.

Their communication with the ‘humans’ in the audience was excellent and amusing, but there was also a serious message behind a number of their tracks around ecology and climate change.

This was most clearly evident in The Great Venusian Apocalypse (sung in the native Venusian of the keyboard/bass player) which (apparently) charts the decline of the civilisation of Venus and warns us that a climate disaster could overtake Earth too.

The instrumental New Planet is an excellent, anthemic piece while Get Outta Ma House gives a nod in the direction of house music, a common link within many tracks however is the use of super-catchy riffs which really get inside your head and makes singing along easy.

In Praise Of Water returned to the ecological theme brilliantly and the final, encore track Demilitarise was a great singalong anthem, complete with cue cards.

As the saying goes, many a true word is spoken in jest – Henge have a message for we Earthlings, but above all they are FUN.



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