The collective description I've heard over and over again of NY duo Buke & Gase is how they can sound larger than the sum of their parts. Sitting calmly in front of a small crowd at Philadelphia's Kung Fu Necktie last night, Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez moved through subtle rhythms and movements with every appendage. The floor beneath them was littered with peddles - many of which Sanchez makes himself, including his modified six string bass - a bass drum, and a cymbal to complete the illusion of a full backing band.
The more the short set went along, the more the extemporaneous pieces came into play, parlaying Dyer's vocals with harmonizing effects and other nifty gadgets that played the part of what seemed like a keyboard. There just seemed to be so much going on at once, despite the relative tameness of the parts sitting on the dimly lit stage.
And that, in itself, is an unfortunate fault. Despite the creativity and DIY approach, which is something you can really appreciate, there's a cataclysm of what can be done. The levels on Dyer's guitar and Sanchez' bass hardly change during the show, and the vocals - while pretty at times - become garbled in the scope of everything. To the casual listener, there's not too much assurance of when their 2010 debut Riposte goes into their recently released EP Function Falls. But the result, more often than not, touches base with groups like Deerhoof and Dirty Projectors. Refined uniqueness, just borderline their own.
The band's tour continues tonight at New York City's Mercury Lounge. Tickets are still available.
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