Decoder Ring & Architecture in Helsinki

Written for Vibewire

@ Annandale: Architecture in Helsinki has a sound that blends indie rock and pop with some synth-electro. In fact, it appears a lot of emerging, exciting Aussie bands have decided that the key is not to constrict yourself in a genre and look to merging styles to create a unique sound all to your own. Which is precisely what Architecture has done. They are both delicately whimsical and sweetly nostalgic with a restrained emotion that most often surfaces with the to and fro between lead vocalists Cameron Bird and Kellie Sutherland.

An eight piece band their songs utilize an amazing number of instruments. Throughout their set I saw a clarinet, trombone, tuba, flute, keyboards, guitars, drums, shakers, mini xylophone, not to mention the range of body created instruments, including clapping, child-like voices and shouts, and mouth popping. With so many instruments being played simultaneously, there’s the danger of the entire thing collapsing in a heap. But instead Architecture manages to draw on all the melodies and interweave them together in a finely orchestrated fashion to create a colourful musical landscape.

Decoder Ring too use layers, but with a different approach. For one, Decoder Ring is singer-less. For most bands, songs without words are a very scary prospect. You’ll be lucky to find one or two instrumentals on most albums. And yet adding voice to Decoder’s sound would most definitely take away from their powerful blend of electronica and rock. It would take us somewhere far more grounded and ordinary.

Instead, Decoder relies on a variety of sounds, from heavy guitar action verging on metal, deep bass and driving drums offset with twinkling keyboard melodies and an assortment of synth-ambient-electronic sounds. All of which culminate to create a complex soundscape that Decoder actively invite us to step into and explore. It is music to be listened to, not just heard, and to fully appreciate them one must completely emerge in the music, which the audience of this sold out show most certainly did.

For songs that don’t implicitly ‘say’ anything, they are surprisingly emotional, often tinged with sorrow. I’m not sure if this was unique to the performance, being an emotional finale for bass and keyboardist Geoff Towner, who is leaving the group. The ethereal nature of their songs was complemented by Simon Killalea’s extraordinary visuals, playing out like organic visual manifestations of the music we were listening to. All in all, it was an astonishing and moving exploration, showing us that music doesn’t just have to be popular, it can also be art – complex, compelling and ultimately enlightening.