10 Live on WFMU

When Japanese laptop noisician Marqido came through Rob Lim's Janitor From Mars program five years ago, Marqido probably never would have foreseen the musical direction he would take when returning to my program last week with his duo 10.  South Korean crooner Itta began collaborating with Marqido several years ago after Marqido toured through Seoul's experimental venue Yogiga.

As 10, the duo is just finishing up their first American tour, promoting their recent album, Kitsch.  Fans of 10 will be surprised by this live session (or by any of their live concerts for that matter), since 10's electro-pop is highly improvisatory.  Each of the three performances I've seen personally in the past weeks have been completely different.  Wave No Wave is taken at half tempo on this recording, for instance, and all the songs are significantly lengthened.  Marqido makes great use of an optical theremin (which is already at the top of my Christmas wish list) and feeds Itta's vocals and both members' keytars through Logic on his laptop.  10 has been one of my favorite mutant-pop bands for a few years now (especially their album Nomad), so it's been particularly illuminating to see the free improv that underlies the pristine, taut pop on their recordings.

10 is also featured in an article by me just published in May's issue of Wire about experimental music past in present from Seoul, South Korea.  Read that shit, there's magic all up in that bitch.

Comments

[J- 37]

Thanks for this! 10 is sooo awesome...I caught a couple of the recent US shows...can't think of anyone that sounds like 10!! I'll read the wire article...ps..enjoying your untitled cassette,,,best wishes ...j.

[Nat]

Thanks so much, J! Your kind words really means a lot.

[IEMYOU]

WOW!! This is indescribably wonderful!!! I got a chance to see them at their last show at Glasslands a few days before this. They are both really sweet and just sick live!! I could only afford to buy Nomad, so I am SOOOOOOO happy to have this!!!! I love Nomad, however, there is nothing like the flow of live recordings. Plus, it really reminds me of that night, which was just one of the best shows I have been to for a really long time! 10 and WFMU.....I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

[KKJJ]

That Wire article on Seoul was pretty bad and full with inaccuracies. Author should have talked with more Koreans and not so much Sato and Harth.

[fan]

hey KKJJ, why are you talking about the wire things in here? this page is for 10. 10's music is good. that's the important thing in here.