Western Courier

Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: The Edge

Media Credit: Martyn Davis The music was a talented mix of hip-hop and classical.

Media Credit: Martyn Davis

I had the distinct experience of being present at the Ahn Trio, DJ Spooky and Bureau of Cultural Affairs special guest Kenji Bunch concert, "Digitally Remastered," last Wednesday night. I have to say it was one of the best concerts in recent memory I have been to.

The Ahn Trio, three sisters from Seoul, are a trio (violin, cello and piano) with talent to spare.

"Classical music? Boring." I know that is what some of you are thinking, but when you allow yourself to appreciate the music for its quality, it is some of the best out there today.

Still not convinced? Let's throw DJ Spooky into the mix. The first half of the concert followed the pattern of the Ahn Trio coming out and performing a piece, then DJ Spooky playing a remix of the very same piece the ladies had just played.

The mixing was a combination of classical and hip-hop styles. It was like a collage of sound as DJ Spooky effortlessly blended the styles together.

At times, the styles bled into each other until they were indistinguishable and formed a new sound all its own.

Two of the remixed works were accompanied by visuals that added to the overall experience. One mix in particular used videos of tragedy played in reverse to deft effect before switching into a serene city nightscape.

When the Trio and DJ Spooky were on stage together toward the end of the first half of the show, they did a live remix of "My Funny Valentine," which was by far the most impressive and favorable played that night.

After intermission, the format switched as Kenji Bunch came on stage to conduct four pieces. Each piece had a different personality, but the two that stood out were "Skylife" and "Hardware Concerto."

"Skylife" was a striking piece that called to mind a title theme of an action movie in one instance and a "Halo" theme in the next (so much so that they could have been inspired by his work or vice versa).

"Hardware Concerto" was a funky, powerful work. It had cowbell in all the right places. The sound was also manipulated to a delightfully masterful effect.

It was an incredible shame the performance was not better attended, particularly since it was free to students. This concert was definitely one of the most poorly advertised events to date given the performers' level of talent.

There was only one audience member cheering on DJ Spooky and she said "DJ Spooky's performance was intellectually stimulating and overwhelmingly awesome." I am inclined to agree and apply this observation to the entire event. I can only hope the next time the Ahn Trio, DJ Spooky and Kenji Bunch decide to come out to Western, they are greeted with 10 times as much fanfare.

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