In the ultimate modern warp of genres, Leo Bungay experienced Ho99o9's set at Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. Many curveballs were thrown his way, only proving how important and fascinating versatility is in modern music.
Ho99o9 (pronounced horror!) are an American duo who combine elements of rap, hardcore, metal, industrial noise techno and just about any other genre you can think of that is loud, creating a sound that is uniquely theirs. Prior to the gig I was unsure how they would translate their sound to a live setting and was fearful it would be a pretty straightforward set but boy was I wrong for thinking that!
“As soon as the duo walked onto the stage to a Frank Sinatra intro it was immediately clear this would be a performance as unique as their sound.”
As soon as the duo walked onto the stage to a Frank Sinatra intro it was immediately clear this would be a performance as unique as their sound. Once the intro had played out it was followed by a wall of sound being backed with a drum set being hit to within an inch of its life. This intensity was maintained for song after song with the crowd becoming more and more intense throughout, forming larger and larger mosh pits. The whole set was played with live drums, which was the only live instrument, and it added so much to the sound and aggression of Ho99o9.
Frank Sinatra wasn’t the only curveball thrown into the set, with regular interludes of juxtaposing songs which culminated when Gypsy woman by Crystal Waters played whilst theOGM lit up and started smoking on stage, dancing as he went. This dance break was cut short by the ear-splitting snares of Sub-Zero, sending the crowd straight back into a frenzy. Ho99o9 didn’t only sonically add to their set but also took lighting into their own hands at one point, by cutting all lights except for a single headtorch on theOGM’s head illuminating Eaddy as he bellowed into his mic, making for a really cool and original effect adding to the dark hectic atmosphere of the performance.
Throughout the set Ho99o9 engaged well with the crowd especially when Eaddy got into the pit twice, on the second visit setting off a wall of death that stretched the length of rescue rooms before screaming “let’s make love” as he ran through the centre of us. The European tour Ho99o9 are currently on is well worth going to if you get a chance and are a fan of any of the aforementioned genres or if you fancy trying out something new and at the cutting edge of underground music. Their album SKIN was released earlier this year on DTA Records and is definitely worth a listen.
Leo Bungay
Edited by Roxann Yus
Cover image courtesy of Ho99o9 via Facebook.
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