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Epsilon Minus - Live
Show Review by Rabies
 Just
saw the first live show of the local (local to Toronto, Canada)
band Epsilon Minus. This act is a duo consisting of Bogart
Shwadchuck (I probably just butchered his last name) on the
synths and programming, and Jennifer Parkin on vocals.
Their music is varied, but primarily darkwave / electro / synthpop
(correct me if I'm wrong on the damn genre labels!).
The show
took place at the Velvet Underground. This being their
very first public performance of any kind, the show was very minimalist.
No special lights, no effects, no stage decor. It was just Bogart
on one side with two synths on a rack, and Jenn on the other with
the microphone stand.
The music
was very competently composed and programmed. Most songs had a
good dance energy to them and almost had an Apoptygma Berzerk
vibe, but with female vocals. (Shoot me if this comparison is
offensive to anyone).
The vocals,
dare I say, failed in their delivery...at first. It was obvious
that first time jitters coupled with the pace of the first few
songs, made it difficult for the vocals to truly stand out, but
by the 5th song--their first slow song of the night--Jennifer
had time to catch her breath and put alot more into it, and it
was here that we could see the true potential of her as lead vocalist.
The last
two songs of the night were very energetic, fast and danceable
tunes that will no doubt be successful on the club circuit, and
by this time Jennifer had warmed up and did not hold back on the
vocals. I have to question the balance of the levels throughout
the show though, as the music seemed to drown out the vocals a
bit too much (and this is the case on their independantly released
CD as well).
Overall,
Epsilon Minus promises to be a success story, especially
considering that they are already being courted by several record
labels. Check out their website here: http://www.damnyouleeb.com/epsilonminus/
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