Switzerland’s Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp (OTPMD) and Providence, Rhode Island’s dakoudakou are two groups that could absolutely perform for a seated audience; these are bands that, by design, are not necessarily looking to perform for a typical contemporary classical audience, but they could easily get away with some degree of code switching. Both ensembles have their own version of a groove-oriented contemporary classical free jazz that invites the audience to dance, and their July 1 show at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket highlighted the importance of physical performance spaces. The legendary recording studio/art gallery/performance space has hosted a diverse range of artists and musicians for about 20 years, and presenting these two groups in a rock show context completely changed the communication between audience and performer.
dakoudakou first performed in the gallery off of the main performance space where OTPMD also played later. Currently on view in the gallery through September 2 is an exhibition titled “Otherworld” by Providence-based artists Eli Kauffman and J Rowen O’Dwyer. Their work, which they describe as “charting the rituals of queer life,” was a fitting backdrop to a night of music with a common theme of defiant joy and righteous anger in the face of global political strife.
“dakoudakou” refers to the semi-legal way in which rock music was distributed in China in the 90s, and the sound of the group – consisting of french horn, trombone, percussion, upright bass, electric bass, violin, bouzouki, and sanxian – is a kind of rock ‘n’ roll free jazz based on Chinese traditional music. Their set included tracks from their 2024 EP “猫脚汤,” many of which start with a unison melody that turns into a groove-oriented jam. The combination of electric and upright bass created an unexpected texture as the two instruments traded off between who was functioning as the traditional bass and who was playing a melody. The electric vs. acoustic texture created a great backdrop for the plucked strings of the bouzouki and sanxian. dakoudakou’s entire performance was as inspiring and thrilling as it was unexpected, with the blurring of boundaries between musical styles and improvisation vs. composition enhancing the experience.
Watching OTPMD take the stage, there’s something to be said for the sheer power of their instrumentation and set up. Two marimba players, with additional drums, are positioned on either side of the stage. Behind them are two percussionists: one with a full drum set, and the other with a sort of trap kit consisting of a half drum set, half collection of auxiliary percussion, and two timpani. The group has two electric guitars, an upright bass, cello, viola, trombone, and bugle – and everybody sings.
Stylistically, OTPMD dances between post-punk, minimalism, and free jazz. The fundamental musical concepts of OTPMD are based on motoric grooves in the drums and syncopation traded around the rest of the group that can begin to feel monotonous over time; without distinct melodic structures, their performances can grow trancelike, but they execute these textures extremely well.
What makes OTPMD such an infectious live performance – aside from the high-quality songwriting and musicianship – is the palpable joy, excitement, and energy in every moment. And watching them pull out some of these musical figures was a spectacle in itself (a one-measure, unaccompanied cowbell solo received audible gasps and cheers from the audience). Giving almost every member of the group a chance to sing also eroded any sense of ego about who’s leading the group and who’s not.
The standout performance was “So Many Things (To Feel Guilty About)” from their 2021 album We’re OK. But We’re Lost Anyway. Incessant grooves from the drumset and bass provided a backdrop for the second percussionist to solo over. After everyone sang the title of the track together, a syncopated horn line gave way to lush, sustained strings. Even within this fluid texture, there was always a groove or rhythmic element to sustain the energy.
In the bio for OTPMD, bassist Vincent Bertholet says that the sound and energy of the group is so consistent, the individual players don’t really matter. While that may be true to some extent on record, their live performance is really made transcendent by the personalities of its individual players. There were so many individual moments in both performances from dakoudakou and OTPMD that seemed to make everyone in attendance smile, but the real takeaway from the evening was a tangible sense of joy in music-making.
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dakoudakou,Machines with Magnets,Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp,OTPMD
