Monday, November 9, 2009

The Egg Higher Ground Ballroom South Burlington, VT by Katherine McNamara Photos by Simon Yugler


































The Egg flawlessly melds instrumental and electronic music to create an ethereal groove. The music gains momentum until it overtakes the venue in ambient vibrations. Earthy base thumps below intermittently funky guitar licks and fantastical electronic meanderings. Already wildly popular in the U.K., The Egg has stepped into the U.S. scene with quiet grandeur, steadily building a reputation from silvery explosive performances at festivals like Echo and venues across the States. The undulating crowd evidenced the growing buzz surrounding the group at Higher Ground on November 4th.
Seldom does an opening act elicit so much fire. If an unsuspecting Lotus fan wandered into Higher Ground early, they were certain to be struck by the lightning storm The Egg conjured there. The sound had seemingly boundless energy, like a rogue wave that flowed between band and crowd, able to swiftly usurp the floor from any unsuspecting feet. Guitarist Matt White carves out enigmatic melodies alongside Ben Cullum’s inventive bass, enhanced by Ned Scott’s superb dance on the keys, and Maff Scott’s vibrant drum beat.
When I, playing devil’s advocate, asked keyboard and vocalist Ned Scott what he would say to a more traditional fan, less inclined to appreciate the electronic aspect of their sound, Ned replied that, just like instruments, electronic equipment “are all tools. Using computers doesn’t necessarily mean not having a human groove. The timing is live – we feed off of the audience.” His brother, drummer Maff Scott, added that navigating electronic music is like operating within “a grid, you can bump anywhere within it – how you break, and where you adjust the volumes prevents the music from sounding rigid.”
Certainly, their music is anything but rigid. The Egg is currently on tour with Lotus. They are working on a new album with Benji Vaughan (better known as the extremely talented Younger Brother).
Do not miss this deliciously elusive sound that delicately fuses shimmering tunes with unstoppable beats.

By Katherine McNamara

Photos by Simon Yugler

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