Concert Review: Estère at The Civic Club, 21 March 2021

Into the Dream Cabaret of The Civic Club arises Estère. And her brand-new album, Archetypes, blossoms out into a full-blown immersive sound and vision feast.

Estère Dalton was born on Waiheke Island, a New Zealand European mother and African father. She has lived abroad in Germany and France as well as Cameroon where her brothers and father live.

Her particular Future Pop sound is consequently broad and expansive. Very much World Music.

The show begins with leading album track Into the Belly of Capricorn. A simple trance beat rhythm. The sparse arrangement gives the song plenty of space to breathe. Deep bass notes well up into a cavernous sound which washes over you.

Pomegranate. Echoing beats but light on its feet with a Brazilian mambo feel. Which adds up to an eerie seductive, hypnotic effect. Starlight runs from its own death/ The heart of a pomegranate, returns to a living planet.

The song-stories on Archetype come from a meditation on the works of Carl Jung and the roles of mythological and ancient folklore. As it relates to the psychological framework of how we perceive the world.

Calculated Risk. Theatrical Pop story-telling and a girlish sensual vocal not too far from the early Kate Bush. That apple shouldn’t be picked/ That chalice shouldn’t be sipped/ I calculated the risk.

Funky R’n’B beats overlaid by African rhythms is Animal Pleasure. Music which wraps around your head and then your spine. The Funky Afro of Brian Eno and David Byrne at their peak with Remain in the Bush of Ghosts.

Climate of Your Skull and a sinuously bending and snaking bass line. Electronic keyboard effects and this works up to nice Techno dance beat number.

Estère’s voice can float across the top in a high Girl Group tone. She has nice deeper tones. She draws influence from Grace Jones and Nina Simone. A theatrical Pop Performance artist with the shadow of Bowie. These are the music archetypes from which she draws.

Pelican is a story of the protective force of the Mother spirit. Melodic Pop Jazz vocals which blend with seductive trance drone musical textures.

The band takes the night out with a couple of older tracks.

Underwater Whale Knowledge is a great techno trance-dance anchored by a deep cavernous bass. Female African-Pop harmony vocals.

Ambition is the story of a high-class prostitute running for American President. Says Estère. A minimalist Afro-Funk beat is worked up into an electrifying steamy finale.

Estère has stated that as a performer she aims to create a whole World of which she invites you in. A very good album can become a transformative experience in a live setting. We can feel privileged to be able to do this when most of the World has shut down this essential part of Music Art.

Rev Orange Peel     

Click any icon to view a full gallery of Estère’s show. Photos by Chris Zwaagdyk.