Astrid Sonne played Public Records

Earlier this year, Astrid Sonne released her excellent new album Great Doubt and now she's on tour supporting the release in North America.

For her third record, Astrid Sonne refined her mix of orchestral arrangements with distinct percussion and added her velvety vocal work over the top, making for a deep and intimate experience of moody, experimental electronica. As she and cellist Emma Barnaby took to the stage at Public Records in Gowanus, the room darkened, fell silent, and all eyes became firmly fixated on Sonne as she took a seat and began to conjure up some deep, heavy beats over a small drum machine and looping board. Adding stark strings on top, the duo traded off on their striking notes while Astrid switched between viola and warping the rhythms beyond recognition before twisting them back into their proper grooves. Playing the record through, Sonne stretched out the movements like putty, sculpting them into new molds before reshaping them until she was rejoined by the cello and the songs kicked into gear. Once the beats dropped and the grooves hit, the crowd would cheer on and the room would come to life, people swaying along in sultry motions while Sonne's booming, captivating echoes shook the room. "Do You Wanna" was smooth and bombastic and as she rose to the microphone, the crowd was there to throw their support behind her rather reserved nature. The sampled woodwinds and other electronic textures gave the night incredible depth and made the entire performance enriched with pleasure. Airy flutes and bold brass added to the sonic palette and the crowd kept getting lost in the stirring grooves. Even with sparse vocals throughout the set, Sonne's command over the crowd never let up and everyone was left hanging on every word as her humble dialogue was engaging and grounding. When the beat to "Boost" hit, the night reached its peak and the crowd was fully engrossed giving over all control to Sonne as she mastered the board and put her skills on full display. For such, at times, minimal sounds, the level of intensity and brilliance that came to life on stage was inspiring and filled with promise, like a crystallized moment of real magic, brief and yet oh so special.