Nils Frahm, a Berlin-based neoclassical composer, recently performed an electrifying set at the National Concert Hall, marking his first appearance in Ireland in six years. His stunning show was more than worth the significant effort likely required to transport his elaborate setup to Dublin, featuring a range of instruments such as analogue synths, an upright piano, samplers and sequencers, to name just a few.
Raised near Hamburg, Frahm has devoted much of his musical career in Berlin, primarily working from his custom recording room, “Saal 3,” based in the 1950s Funkhaus studio complex, formerly the broadcasting headquarters of East Germany. Trained under Nahum Brodsky, a direct musical descendant of Tchaikovsky, Frahm is seen as a trailblazer in the “classical ambient” genre, a unique blend of orchestral music and electronic sound.
During his performance, Frahm emerged as a captivating figure of the avant-garde. He kicked off the show with a remarkable drone piece brought to life with gloved hands, his mastery with the glass harmonica, an instrument that generates an uncanny symphony when glass bowls are rubbed together, was particularly intriguing.
Frahm’s prominence in the music industry rose significantly with his album “All Melody” in 2018. The record, highly commended for its broader spectrum of sound and style by Resident Advisor, broke into the top 30 in the UK. His work, although it defies categorisation into techno, classical, or ambient, contains elements from all these music genres.
The live performances of his music often exude a somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere, with crying synthesizers that bring to mind the Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis, combined with a subsequent, powerful dance rhythm. However, it is not all despair and percussion. He is extremely affable and during the first of his two gigs in Dublin, he humorously engages with the audience about the shocking twist of fate that resulted in England’s win during the penalty shootout in the Euro 2024, just before his performance commenced.
Audience participation is encouraged as well. At one juncture, the crowd is invited to contribute by mimicking the calls of various animals. Inevitably, the majority choose to imitate either monkeys or elephants. The cacophony of sounds is looped into the chorus, spliced into a terrifying hybrid that sounds like a mix of Aphex Twin and Philip Glass.
In the concluding half hour of the two-hour act, Frahm pulls out all the stops by merging techno-style piano with dazzling illumination. The spectacle is so powerful that one might anticipate the equipment to morph into a rocket and shoot out through the rooftop. While that doesn’t occur, the performance is nonetheless an exhilarating spectacle that skyrockets into the stratosphere from the onset and maintains a cosmic intensity throughout.