By Eluned Darwin Goss, Second Year Law and French
With his flair for fusing jazz and house, distinctive painted album covers and humble, homely ambience, Jasper Attlee captivated hundreds of young people at Bristol Beacon on the ninth stop of his twenty-three day UK and European tour.
Released in July 2024, berlioz's second album open this wall achieved a success surge. Over the past couple of years, he has released ten singles, three of which appear on the new album.
Many people first discovered berlioz when he began posting quirky animations of people listening to jazz on TikTok. These clips are pleasing to watch regardless of them being advertisements - in fact you would hardly notice them as such.
What is likeable about berlioz is his ability to perfectly target through aesthetic and sound without being obnoxious nor excessive. deep in it, featuring Ted Jasper, got the crowd moving with hopping saxophone and cymbals. The song has connotations of being deeply immersed in emotion, which the crowd certainly felt.
Relaxed at the centre of the stage, Attlee appeared engrossed in his artistic method, creating a communal atmosphere. Observers felt free to dance around carelessly without needing to be close to the stage or staring straight at the musicians.
The overall vibe was instead about letting go and letting loose. nyc in 1940 - berlioz's first single and a fan favourite - furthered this friendly, light-hearted atmosphere with its playful allegro piano notes.
jazz is for ordinary people felt at home in Bristol's youth-dominated crowd, with the lyrics 'it's the music of the young' resonating with the students in the room.
Creating a sound that fuses house - a genre especially popular with Bristolians - and jazz, typically associated with the older, more sophisticated generation of bourgeoisie, berlioz has curated a judgement free space for ordinary people to come together and enjoy jazz.
'Surreal, more real than reality itself...', miro tells the story of an artist seeking advice from Picasso, who tells him, alongside 'a dash of cubism and a dollop Matisse' to 'pretend you're waiting for the subway'.
Just as the lyrics express, art is a complex thing to untangle, which is what perhaps made this disjointed lyricism so enjoyable - there was no need to fully understand what was being said to gauge the feeling during the performance. Experiencing this song live certainly felt both surreal and real: being immersed in art with people you love is real and part of being human.
ode to rahsaan, unsurprisingly an ode to jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk, provided a suspensory effect, slowly building up and slowing back down, before getting us moving quickly once more.
The track reminds us of jazz's roots, and whilst having produced masterpieces himself, berlioz wishes to credit 'black classical music' for its contributions to his productions.
something will happen felt like a natural conclusion to the night, with its harmonious lyrics blending in with the audience. The crowd became ultimately connected to the music, berlioz's track and the voices of fans indistinguishable.
This tune brought people together: couples wrapping their arms around each other, friends grasping hands, bodies swaying side to side and the sound of the chorus soothing.
berlioz may be an incredibly unique creator, but he pulled out the classic premature departure before his encore. open this wall was a perfect, optimistic wrap-up of the concert. The comforting lyrics and manifestations 'I'm wonderful and I know there's this supreme power that gives me the ability to be everything if I just allow it to happen' left listeners feeling free and hopeful.
During this busy academic period, self-assurance is what a lot of us need. What we weren't ready for however, was for Bristol Beacon's exit doors to open as the gig came to a close.
Featured Image: Eluned Darwin GossWhat was your favourite berlioz song to see live?
