There is a surprising air of nonchalance in London's Cargo that greets Will Wiesenfeld, the electronic musician who composes and performs under the moniker 'Baths'. Surprising because this is Shoreditch, and you'd think this blend of spasmodic beats and choppy vocal samples would be right up the street of the district best known, and sometimes derided for its alternative scene. Though perhaps the nonchalance is all part of the act.
The performer himself picks up on the affectations of his audience, and engages in some light jesting, loosening things up with some camp gesticulations. "I know this is London and you gotta act so dope, but I know you all got a bit of gay in you," he drawls.
Throughout his set, it feels natural to warm to Wisenfeld. He is witty, genuinely seems to enjoy what he does, and obviously doesn't take himself too seriously, even down to apparently giving no further explanation to his pseudonym other than he 'enjoys taking a bath.' Where as British contemporaries; Gold Panda and Mount Kimbie seem rather detached from their audience, 'Baths' is utterly engaging and you have the feeling that you are watching more of a show, with live vocals and some well engineered improvisation, rather than the play through of an album that the above acts could perhaps be accused of.
The music is compelling. Working in new tracks to material familiar from last year's excellent 'Cerulean' album, the beats are dense, without sounding over-crowded. Baths has very much mastered working in the sort of far-away, isolated vocal samples that have become increasingly popular in electronic music in the last year. Extra admiration must be granted for the fact that he sings his own vocal lines.
By the end, Baths has won over the difficult audience, and rather than making a quick exit, he descends from the stage, and the crowd surround him wanting to shake his hand and find out when his next record is out. For now, their facade has been broken by a genuinely talented performer.
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