Live @ Foundry 616 | The Consouls Chronicles Trio ft. Asahi Takahashi
Sydney-based ensemble The Consouls played at Foundry 616 this week, performing music from video games but with a twist, combining it with their love of jazz.
The band began their humble beginnings on YouTube, performing live streams on Twitch, to performing at TEDxMacquarieUniversity and later, Japan.
This week, they became a three-piece for the evening - The Consouls Chronicles Trio, with Julian Sanchez on piano, Mark Joya on drums, and Timothy Teylan on saxophone.
With singer Asahi Takahashi at the helm for the opening number, the band performed jazz arrangements of songs from ‘Studio Ghibli’ and ‘Kingdom Heart’ in a mix of Japanese and English. Takahashi was often accompanied only by piano, allowing her smooth and breathy vocals to shine.
Get a taste HERE!
Despite it having been over a year since the band performed live in their hometown, The Consouls’ performance was energetic, smooth, and swinging from start to finish.
Playing fan favourites ‘Song of Storms’ from ‘The Legend of Zelda’, ‘Ryu’s Theme’ from ‘Street Fighter’, and new material from ‘NieR’ (including a hilarious drum solo by Joya), the highlight was without a doubt a sped up, energetic performance from ‘Kirby’s Dreamland’ that left the band sweating and saxophonist gasping for air.
The evening was peppered with humour, from the self-deprecating to sarcastic, making it feel like an intimate hang out with friends. Between sets, the band spoke of how grateful they were to have a full room attending their gig despite the year long hiatus from live performances. They announced future album recordings and further collaborations with Takahashi in the future, allowing an expansion of their catalogue to anime and Ghibli films.
Foundry 616 was the perfect venue to host such a videogame jazz ensemble, with its history of hosting jazz performances in their bar and restaurant. The performance was intimate, and enhanced by audio engineering that avoided the cause of hearing loss.
Although the stage was rather small for the grand piano and drum set to fit comfortably, and the choice of a Monday night gig was a bit of stretch for those working the next day, the band proved to be a must-see.
Find The Consouls on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, andTwitch.tv
