Spawned from a single late-night recording session between cousins Bryan Sutherland (OPOPO) and Lukas Cheung (the Dharma Sun), experimental electro-pop outfit Saturns take a fairly loose approach to the performance of that collaborative moment's resulting creations. Though their songs are clearly structured, there was an almost "in the moment" attitude as the band members laid out each track on the Cabin Five stage, fiddling with settings, working out drum patterns, trading off instruments.
However, all of that added to charm of the threesome's varied concoctions — a mix of triggered and live effected percussion, muddy low-end synth drones, electric guitar wails and vocals that, while rarely clear enough to make out the words, were sung with the same forceful spirit with which the band attacked each sonic element. Moments of melodic pop rock clarity were never left to settle for very long as the musician quickly returned to more jarring arrangements, though the danceable beats ridding below each tune served as a sound foundation from which to make sense of it all.
But while that care-free approach may have felt good up there onstage, tightening things up a bit would have made for a better listener experience.
However, all of that added to charm of the threesome's varied concoctions — a mix of triggered and live effected percussion, muddy low-end synth drones, electric guitar wails and vocals that, while rarely clear enough to make out the words, were sung with the same forceful spirit with which the band attacked each sonic element. Moments of melodic pop rock clarity were never left to settle for very long as the musician quickly returned to more jarring arrangements, though the danceable beats ridding below each tune served as a sound foundation from which to make sense of it all.
But while that care-free approach may have felt good up there onstage, tightening things up a bit would have made for a better listener experience.