I can imagine what a Man Ray Sky band practice must be like: the band perfectly craft out a melody, an otherworldly vocal line, an indie rock drum beat, and then they think “how can we mess this up?”

Their approach to songwriting is deconstructive and relies upon the surprise of subversion. They never let themselves get too conventional or too pretty. This destruction of the status quo ensures that the tracks they play are always unique and deliver the shock of the new.

As we file into the upstairs room at the Hope and Ruin, a deafening feedback drone rings out. People are covering their ears and wincing at the tone as the band brood on stage, basking in their own noise.

It’s a grating introduction, and one that plays in perfectly with their goal of subversion. When they begin to play ‘The Modern Shift’, the atmosphere becomes joyous.

Soaring vocals and cutting guitar lines are the core of the band’s sound, with distorted synths and pounding drums adding edge and interest as they hammer through ‘Ether Song’ and ‘Theme from Yugen’.

Frontman Jay Thornton, clad in what can only be described as traditional African garb, introduces a new song, ‘See Them Falling’, with the words “This might work, we’ll see.”
Luckily, they pull it off.

The award-winning ‘Luma’ showcases all the brilliant elements of Man Ray Sky’s music: the driving basslines, Jay’s almost heavenly vocals and the merging of traditional and electronic instruments.

Guitarist Mark Benton takes over the vocals for closer ‘Cyan’, a song which builds up and up into a cradling crescendo of a killer riff. It’s spiritual, tribal and when the feedback kicks in, oddly comforting.

The band exit as they began: with an almost deafening wall of noise. It provides the perfect sandwich for a psychedelic pop gig and ensures that their message of aural obliteration is delivered.

Man Ray Sky, Hope and Ruin, Tuesday 24th November 2015
Words by Jasmine Scott