The Flying Circus has come to town. Trading open spaces and gelastic performers for slinking shadows and edgy electronica Audiofly's conceptual party opened to a crowd that were clued-in - and curious. This season’s residency at Sankeys is the projects first foray into a definitively static affair having spent the last six years touring and treading the world's more underground channels.
After speaking to Audiofly's Luca Saporito earlier in the summer it was immediately clear that he and his partner - Anthony Middleton - were keen to pursue things beyond the pale. Examining human energies, presenting ambitious, elaborate line-ups and leading those before them on an intellectual journey of continuous discovery Flying Circus - on paper - aims for the conceptual weight that has lent Richie Hawtin's ENTER such explosive success - albeit in a distinctly humanistic, emotional manner.
In the Basement Sankey's robust VOID system was discharging at full bore. American duo Dance Spirit sculpted a whooshing, pitched onslaught of dreamy keys and rushing sound. In action their self-purported mantra, 'attaining subconscious harmony through rhythm, timbre, melody and movement' seemed suitable and surprisingly unpretentious. One of the main ideals of Flying Circus is to provide a '365-degree journey through sound' - to ensure their believers are led through a shifting maze of genres, styles and experiences. Booking Detroit mastermind Carl Craig then, was a thoughtfully considered stroke. On the pixelated screen behind blue, auric shapes morphed with flowing, fluid movements - reminiscent of the alien forms in James Cameron's work 'The Abyss'. Craig delivered a set thick with what has given him the deserved status he holds today - straight up Detroit futurism. Lingering strings and chords maintained the astral atmosphere before Craig deftly settled into an engaging groove. The delicate vintage piano rift of Tom Trago's 'Two Together' sat midway through a set that - although suitable for a spot at DEMF - held an appealing intimacy.
Flying Circus has -notably - engaged in minimal promotional activities. Whether this is a consciously deliberate decision or not, it does lend the party a certain underground mystery - as if it is a secret that people should discover for themselves. In the LAB eccentric French trio dOP presented their unique live show. A digital MOOG synthesiser shared the booth with an elaborate mixing desk, Ableton and additional keys all cradled in a twist of knotted cables. Frontman Jonathan 'Jo Jo' Illel first sat on the stage with his head bowed, whispering into the ear of an enchanted clubber. The bands trademark blend of erotic, murmuring vocals and layers of catchy, muted sounds simply smoldered - never has a live act oozed such palpable sex appeal. Bouncing between soft, soulful interludes and jacking acid electronica dOP and the crowd quickly became one and the same entity.
Judging by the colourful artwork of the party and past Flying Circus events - with a focus on outside, airy locations - the atmosphere in Sankeys was a lot tougher than expected. Unadorned and dark the sounds were harder, the music more serious - and all for the better. Audiofly themselves continued the trend - pushing a rough warmth through the subs. Heavily distorted synth and bass lines wound the crowd into a dramatic world of musical cool - their cigarettes making glowing orange pin-pricks in the smoky space. German SIS took over with an instantly recognisable blend of thick, thumping kicks and tribal percussion. Aztec, Latin, Turkish sounds wound their way through the sharp peaks and troughs of his performance - Audiofly surely delivered in their aim to present an all-encompassing musical experience.
Flying Circus acts to bring some of the brightest, most unique acts to the island. It is humble and chooses not to shout and flaunt but to whisper and call you softly towards it. The atmosphere is at once different, as Audiofly envisaged Flying Circus is more about the party itself and less about the individual artists or names - in the name of personal satisfaction and discovery.
Photography by James Chapman
