Raime

Hearn Generating Station, Toronto ON, June 10

Photo: Stephen McGill

BY Matt BobkinPublished Jun 11, 2016

7
On Tooth, the newly released sophomore album by dark UK production team Raime, Joe Andrews and Tom Halstead crafted a series of shifty, shadowy tracks with daubs of techno and industrial noise. For their Canadian debut performance, the unit — joined by a live drummer for their first official outing as a three-piece — served to go beyond their studio albums, using the industrial mass of the Hearn Generating Station as a vessel to tap into the ominous vibes that fuel their albums.
 
Creating an unsettling sonic atmosphere from the moment their thin, militaristic beat and needling guitar line heralded their arrival, the unit brought their dark beats to life, driven by rattling bass to contrast the minimalist guitar lines and beats. Thanks to the group's skill and the Hearn's impressive sound system, Raime were able to control the bass, turning it into a tempered element of their set instead of the typical relentless wave that rocks the audience. The new drummer proved the group's secret weapon: though she remained stoic through most of the set, her sporadic moments of action added a strong propulsive element. Raime's studio albums lend themselves best to individual listening through their eerie minimalism, and the live drummer helped fill out their sound to the fit the cavernous jaw of the Hearn.

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