The configuration of the group Hic Up feels very contemporary somehow – a mix of amplified instruments, turntables, electronics and old-school bass and guitar, producing on Fuschia Fever (AL MASLAKH RECORDINGS 27) two long tracks of performed music in a swirl of sound which they claim is influenced by improvisation and contemporary classical music, as well as rock, electronica, glitch and modern minimalism.
The players are Marina Cyrino, Tony Elieh, JD Zazie, and Matthias Francisco Koole, operating in Berlin since 2020, where this live concert was recorded in 2022. Strong gender balance, and a rare mix of nationalities in this group – Cyrino is Brazilian, Koole is Belgian, and I think Elieh comes from Beirut originally, where he was at the forefront of post-rock music in the group Scrambled Eggs. Already Hic Up have evolved a very democratic way of playing, and no single instrument ever dominates or overpowers the others. Yet I myself keep wishing for a bit more energy and stronger dynamic in the playing; too much of a boneless soup, not enough roughage. The sounds they make are very good though, and I understand it’s intended to be impressionistic and “gestural” music. (10/06/2024)