Dorian Concept

Doors 7.30pm

cancelled

The narrative of music in the 2010s is that of conn
ectivity, of flattened
boundaries, of a level landscape: with the democrat
ization of music
distribution and more direct communication channels
between creators
and fans, the discourse hails a creative frontier w
ith fewer obstacles than
ever between the bedroom studio and the public cons
ciousness. But what
is less often spoken about is what falls between th
e cracks of unbridled
access and constant chatter, and what happens to th
ose who are offered a
spotlight yet prefer not to stand in it. A post-pos
tmodern position occupied
by confident feet, which nonetheless refuse to danc
e on command. Enter
Dorian Concept, the self-taught, Viennese-born and
raised keyboardist
and producer, our case in point.
Dorian Concept, born Oliver Thomas Johnson, in the
early years climbed
an ascent perhaps exemplary of this generation
’
s brightest production
talents: after experimenting with production softwa
re, piano and
saxophone throughout his teenage years, he studied
multi-media art at
university before catching the internet
’
s attention with virtuosic video
footage of himself shredding on a microKORG and dro
pping out to pursue
music-making more seriously. In the span of a few y
ears he had caught
th
e attention of such sonic agenda-setters as Gilles
Peterson, Benji B and
Mary Anne Hobbs; released a flurry of EPs; performe
d with The Cinematic
Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall; joined the ranks of
other promising
upstarts at Red Bull Music Academy; got spotted by
Flying Lotus and
invited to tour in his live band. After finding a h
ome on Ninja Tune, he
enjoyed underground success with the release of an
album
“
Joined Ends
”
,
dizzyingly intricate singles which made the rounds
on experimental
dancefloors worldwide, and subsequent live touring
from Glastonbury to
Sonar to MoMA PS1
’
s Warm Up.
But true to his hometown
’
s intensely private and self-analytical spirit,
Dorian Concept has been wary of the hyperconnectivi
ty and demand for
extraversion which defines the contemporary music w
orld. That his name
remains a currency in the headiest undercurrents, y
et his public presence
still so measured and sparse, speaks to a cautious
thoughtfulness that
belies the characteristic childlike play of his pro
ductions. Having spent the
past four years largely off the radar -
un
-learning equipment he famously
could play with his eyes closed and reconnecting wi
th a sense of self still
mostly shrouded from the world - he re-emerges with
the announcement of
his signing to Brainfeeder and the forthcoming rele
ase of his most
evocative album to date. 2018 sees him poised to sp
eak with a voice the
world will be delighted to, finally, hear.

Over 18's
* Was originally 14/12/18