Live Review: Forest Swords, Cassius Select

Liverpool’s Forest Swords inhabits a nocturnal world of slow tribal rhythms and gauzy guitar riffs. His show at the OAF was a cold yet oddly comforting look into that monochromatic realm, and the audience seemed like they were under a spell. They swayed and dipped silently as Matthew Barnes and his bass player churned through a haunting set.

Sydney producer Cassius Select (one of Guerre’s alter egos) warmed up with a glitchy garage set that felt perfectly aligned with Forest Swords’ tone. Shades of post-R&B jazz could be detected beneath an endless volley of cracks, pops and stuttering electro percussion, and the warmth that often dominates his arrangements under his Guerre moniker was here also, albeit protected by layers of hard metallic vocal distortion. Given the short amount of time he played it was a surprisingly deep set from this fascinating producer.  

Forest Swords stripped everything away and transported us to a more primitive state. The deep thudding bass lines and Spartan percussion allowed room for melodic elements that were sometimes shrill, sometimes haunting. It was like having a dream where you’re listening to an ancient field recording of panpipes being played over tribal drums. Barnes is a master at crafting atmosphere in his songs, and hearing them played louder, slower and with more intensity was intoxicating. Accompanying them were visuals of various subjects covered in shadow. Barnes is also a graphic designer and it was great to see his starkly beautiful ideas fleshed out like that.

The small Sunday crowd responded with silent reverence, only coming alive during a few breaks and when he finished. It was an eerie performance that felt strangely familiar in some ancient “genetic memory” sort of way. Forest Swords taps into something very deep indeed.