Marconi Union Provide a Sensational Soundscape (Concert Review)

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At 8pm sharp, Marconi Union took the stage. The duo of Jamie Crossley and Duncan Meadows sat down, picked up their instruments, and started on their opener ‘Sleepless’. No fanfare, no fancy introduction, no loud welcoming sign. There was barely even a graphic on the screen behind. Just around 250 eager and seated fans, with the Bush Hall in London awash in a surround soundscape of sacredness.

It’s a beginning befitting the ethos of the band’s two decades in music. Formed in 2003 in Manchester, Marconi Union has specialised in the art of making spectacular art. Famed for barely giving interviews or engaging in large-scale promotion, their fusion of ambient music and electronica has found a passionate following in the purest of ways. If you were a fan of Brian Eno or the Atticus Ross/Trent Reznor-led scores, for example, you’ve likely fallen in love with the band through ‘Different Colours‘ or ‘Beautifully Falling Apart (Ambient Transmissions Vol 1)’. 

Even their mainstream apex, the song ‘Weightless Part 1’, speaks to the core of Marconi Union. Known for being labelled as the “world’s most relaxing song”, research has proven that it can reduce anxiety by 65%. However, for a song that has over 439 million Spotify streams, the band barely plays it at their live gigs. Turns out, they have plenty in their discography to dig into.

What was brilliant about this set was its two-act structure, something I wish most gigs would adopt. The first hour-long part, dubbed “Set 1”, was a reworking of songs from their back catalogue. With Meadows on synth and Crossley on the electric guitar and the vocoder, this resulted in seven gorgeous segments that reverberated with clarity and craft across the space. 

‘Inland Borders’ starts off with a bewitching synth melody line that gradually filled with spacey twinklings and a drum beat that felt like we were gazing at the Milky Way. Furthermore, ‘Weightless Part 5’, a track off the aforementioned popular collection, felt like a rumination at the shore of the ocean. Sprinklings of synth and instrumentation appeared over an ambient drone that occupied every nook and cranny of the hall with a magical lull.

All this while, both Meadows and Crossley look immersed within their own creations, like Greek Gods ruling from their consoles. The visuals behind alternated between black-and-white, Rorschach test-like blotches, and hard lines that resembled metallic architecture.

Following a break, the second part, named “Set 2”, was a full playing of their latest album, ‘The Fear of Never Landing’. Released just two weeks prior, the presentation of an entire body of work is such a rare gift. Marconi Union unwrapped their newest collection in the most evocative way. Opening tracks ‘Through the Heat Waves’ and ‘Eight Miles High Alone’ reverberated with such patient beauty. They brought an orange backdrop and visual pattern that looked like a transmorphic epidermis casting a serene afterglow.

‘Crystalline’, a compelling house beat-infused number, was backed by a multicoloured lighting setup and Crossley’s guitar meditations. As we journeyed through the album, the colours were now either orange or deep red or Tron-blue. In conclusion, this had the effect of turning Bush Hall into different musical planets we were visiting, depending on the ambient mood. 

At one point, bathed in such a bowl of sound, I closed my eyes. In a Marconi Union atmosphere, this is not just allowed, it’s almost encouraged. The synth textures and elongated guitar verses serve to create an aural world that can be experienced sight unseen. It’s like being in the greatest spa, while also watching the dawn of a sunset next to your lover. In short, this was music that invited one to sit, feel, and imagine, instead of whipping out your phone for your social media cravings. Moreover, that alone made these two hours feel refreshing.

The last number, ‘Cloud Surfing’, was a 10-minute opus where a soft onset built towards a muscular, intoxicating coda. Further to this, it’s a swirl of synth, bass, and rhythm that provided a fitting end to Marconi Union’s latest performance. As the audience gave an ovation, Crossley said a few words of thanks into his vocoder and left. Much as they entered, they exited with house lights on, a few waves, and nothing else. Meanwhile, their audience left with their feet very much still floating on a cool wave of electro-bliss.

Marconi Union is on Instagram and YouTube. Stream their music below or buy ‘The Fear of Never Landing‘. You can also read more concert reviews here.

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