RECAP: Sister Ray Presents Betamax Vs. Clive Bell, Jelly Cleaver & Man From Uranus
On Monday evening, Sister Ray Selects returned to The Windmill Brixton for the third event of our monthly series. These events are all about showcasing artists we think deserve more attention - both new and well established. This time round, we brought you three acts pushing the boundaries of music in their own ways - Betamax Vs. Clive Bell, Jelly Cleaver & Man From Uranus.
It was a night of firsts - MFU's return to the Windmill after 20 years, Jelly's first gig solo gig at the Windmill for the summer, and the first time Betamax & Clive Bell performed their collaborative album ever. Read below to hear about what went down...
Photo Credits: Max Dillon
Up first, Man From Uranus brought ironically tinged lyrics, modulated duck sounds and gritty grooves to the Windmill for the first time in twenty years. Ex-keyboardist of legendary Vanishing Twin, MFU's set was replete with unconventional samples moulded into intriguing bass rhythms. Literally topped off with a hat containing a button to trigger a synthesizer, MFU grabbed the audience's attention to the point that his vinyls were selling like hot cakes in the aftermath.
Up next, the one and only Jelly Cleaver took to the stage, performing the rock and jazz laden songs off her newest album Forever Presence. Coming straight from a protest against the Rwandan deportations, Jelly's set was not only musically, but politically inspiring too. Jelly's roots as an activist came to the forefront, as topics such as inhumane governance, fossil fuels, the expulsion of indigenous peoples from their land and more vital subject matter wove between songs of the same subject matter. All of this was approached in a serious yet lighthearted way, which only made her already wicked guitar skills even more impressive.
Finally, our headliners Betamax & Clive Bell came to the stage, performing their collaborative album Betamax Vs. Clive Bell to a live audience for the first time. Firstly, Betamax (Maxwell Hallett) & Clive Bell are father and son. Clive is one of the UK's leading experts in the shakuhachi flute, whilst Max is an insanely talented drummer, drumming for projects including Comet Is Coming, Soccer 96 & Champagne Dub. This set was allegedly cursed up until this point, as COVID hit the first time this gig was supposed to happen, and the 40 degree heat forced postponement of the second time round. 3rd time's a charm!
Though undoubtedly avant-garde and experimental, this music is deeply listenable, taking the listener on a journey through rich electronic soundscapes replete with traditional Japanese instrumentation and danceable rhythms. All this was topped off by Raimund Wong on tapes. Using an analogue 4-channel mixer, Raimund manually inserted cassette tapes into a tape player, manipulating them to create anything from deep waves of sub to distorted saxophone samples.
Once finished, the audience refused to stop clapping for a good two minutes, demanding encore songs - a sign of a very special gig, for both the performers and listeners.
We'd like to thank all the wonderful acts who've participated in our Sister Ray Selects events so far - Ethan P. Flynn, In Tongues, XVNGO, Lo Simple, YESSIR, Jas Eade, MFU, Jelly Cleaver, Betamax, Clive Bell & Raimund Wong! We're so excited for the next one, whoever it may be...
Keep your eyes peeled for more details regarding our next Sister Ray Selects event at Windmill Brixton. Save the date for Wednesday October 26th 2022...that's all we'll say for now x