Who: A Winged Victory For The Sullen
A Winged Victory For The Sullen is the musical project of composer Dustin O’Halloran (best known for his score for Marie Antoinette) and sound engineer Adam Wiltzie. The result of this duo’s collaboration is some of the most luscious ambient music being made today. You’d think that music that is so slow to build wouldn’t have the capacity to grab you, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Their most recent album, Atomos, which began as the score for a contemporary dance piece, unfolds like an epic story, with each drawn out bow of the strings or the prolonged loop of a processed electric guitar contributing to the drama. It’s no wonder they chose the lovely Volksbühne theatre hall as the venue for their Berlin show.
Any fan of Animal Collective will be fast fan of Panda Bear. Noah Lennox, performing under his moniker Panda Bear, was one of the founding members of Animal Collective, but has since shifted his focus more toward his solo work. Much like the music of his band, Panda Bear sounds experimental and kooky, characterized by incredibly trippy and mesmerizing melodies. However, on his most recent release, Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper, Lennox has broadened his range to the extent that one minute you feel as if you could be dancing along at a night club in the wee hours of the morning, then the next you find yourself drifting off to a washed-out, dreamy sampling of Debussy. Once again, the chosen venue couldn’t have been any more fitting than the infamous Berghain.
Soundcheck Charlie 