Do The Robot weren’t actually on the bill for the Applecore festival back in February, but they are a welcome addition to this show, being held to celebrate the launch of a live CD of acts who played.

A duo from Brisbane, their set-up is intriguing even before they start playing: husband and wife Sally and Matt Deasy are seated on stools, facing each other across Sally’s keyboard, amid a nest of leads and equipment.

I’m hoping for some of the strange and intense pop that made last year’s Amp On Fire such a winner, but they have other ideas today. With no fanfare, or acknowledgement of those watching, they start, flicking through patterns on the drum machine and running through samples. Matt doesn’t touch his fretboard for the first five minutes or so, instead striking tones from open strings and mixing them through the several pedals he has set up.

The piece (which is not named from stage, but which I later discover is called ‘Falling In Love pts. 1 2 & 3’) develops slowly at first but gains momentum, rising and falling. It’s mostly based on sweeps of ringing guitar. The vocals are muted and hard to follow and there seems to be a bit of improvisation going on: a raised eyebrow or a quick nod often indicates an upcoming change in pace or sound. It’s the most un-rock’n’roll thing you can imagine – and it’s great.

There’s perhaps an argument to be made that their intensity borders slightly on the obsessive. (As if their approach to music wasn’t enough, there’s also the individually printed covers that adorn their new CDs and the hand-glued fabric of the vinyl versions). Whatever. They make some of the most striking and compelling noises I’ve heard in a long time; outside of any mould and well ahead of the pack.

by Trevor Block