The Blackheart Orchestra + Dikajee
Friday 20th September 2024
Courtyard Theatre, London
British singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist duo The Blackheart Orchestra are back out on tour this Autumn playing eighteen dates throughout the UK to promote their brand new single ‘Bloodlines’, released on 20th September, commencing on the 6th September in Montrose and finishing up on the 1st November in Reading. On the single release day, they made a pivotal stop off at The Courtyard Theatre in Hoxton, East London, a stone’s throw from Old Street Tube Station. The Courtyard is a theatre, studio and wine bar housed in a former Grade II listed public library building in Pitfield Street in the London Borough of Hackney.
The gig was held in the smaller more intimate studio setting, which holds around eighty people. Chairs were set out in neat rows with standing room at the sides and back. It looked like around forty to fifty people were in attendance. All seats were promptly occupied by 8pm in time for the support act, Russian Folk, Neo-Baroque, Neo-Classical, Prog Rocker, Dikajee, apparently her first time performing in London as a solo artist. Appearing by herself with just piano accompaniment she delivered an ethereally spellbinding set including a cover of Bjork’s ‘Pagan Poetry’, ‘Friar’s Lantern’ from her upcoming kickstarter second album, ‘The Frame’, as well as four tracks from her 2021 debut album ‘Forget~Me~Nots’, a cornucopia of bewitchingly dreamy songs about nature and the universe, namely ‘Forest’, ‘Millions Of Flashes’, ‘Lily Of The Valley’ and Gloomy Flowers Blooming’. The instrumentation on the album is dazzlingly sumptuous and features collaborations with like-minded artist including Fiona Rüggeberg (Faun), Guillaume Bernard (Klone) and João Filipe (Amber Foil).
The Blackheart Orchestra was formed in 2008 by Chrissy Mostyn and Richard Pilkington, and to date the duo have released seven studio albums including ‘Indigo’ (2008), ‘Invisible’ (2009), ‘Songs from A Satellite’ (2013), ‘Diving for Roses’ (2017), ‘Mesmeranto’ (2019), ‘Mute’ (the instrumental variations) (2021) and ‘Hotel Utopia’ (2022). The band’s sound is an eclectic blend of musical styles from pastoral Folk, Classical Minimalism, Symphonic, to full on Prog Rock. The band has drawn comparisons to Kate Bush, Portishead, London Grammar, Steve Reich, Philip Glass and Ludovico Einaudi. They have received several industry accolades including nomination for the Progressive Music Limelight Award, Best British Duo, fourth Best New British Band, and tenth Most Important Rock Event of 2020 to two years later winning Best British Album, Best Song and Best Female Vocalist in the USA Progressive Rock Awards.
After a short break in the evening’s proceedings, the duo got their musical banquet off to a delectably tasteful start with ‘Darling Africa’ from the 2017 'Diving for Roses' album before neatly juxtaposing into the resplendently upbeat 'Raise Your Heart' from their 2022 'Hotel Utopia' album. Sticking with said album we were treated to exquisite renditions of a further three tracks, the beguilingly glittering ‘A Dangerous Thing’, the enthrallingly radiant ‘The Tide’ and lusciously striking ‘Under The Headlights’. Wonderful lashings of symphonic delight!
Chrissy has one of the most heavenly elysian voices that is divinely angelic. Complementing her, Richard adds multi layers of entrancingly earthly textures to the musical arrangement creating a legion of majestically palatial soundscapes. Both swap between a myriad of keyboards and numerous guitars throughout the set creating what does sound like a full-on orchestra at times.
A couple of intriguingly alluring new tracks from the forthcoming 2025 studio album came next in the form of 'Night Circus' and ‘Stars’ before being eloquently followed by the cosmically spinetingling 'Astronaut' from the 'Hotel Utopia' album. Hypnotically soothing sounds flowed through the ether creating waves of serene calm. The duo’s dexterous handling of several instruments at one time was impressively captivating.
'Better Than Me' was another endearingly enticing new song that will surely be on the next album. The mellow ‘In Another Lifetime’ from the 2019 'Mesmeranto' album got a welcome airing before the stunning new single ‘Bloodlines’ was showcased. “Bloodlines draws inspiration from the things passed down through our lineage - not just physical traits but intergenerational trauma, mental illness, strengths and resilience. The song delves into the secrets our bodies hold and asks the question is society’s current epidemic of depression generic or genetic.” A deeply emotional journey that had the audience gripped. From what I could tell, the following track, ‘Before’, could well be another destined for their forthcoming album.
Onto the last furlong of the show for the pensively somber, 'Drown Me Out', from the 2019 'Mesmeranto' album, yet another slice of songwriting perfection and fluid musicianship from the duo. One of the set’s highlights came next in the form of the dramatic ‘The Flood’ from the 2022 'Hotel Utopia' album, a profusion of compellingly hypnotic passages and invigorating melancholic moods rising in earnestness to an almighty crescendo. Enchantingly absorbing from start to finish. Another favorite ‘Sebastian’ from the 2017 'Diving for Roses' album charmed us all. Chrissy gracefully picked out the arpeggios on electric guitar while Richard tinkled the ivories creating a seductive bedrock for irresistibly divine vocals from Chrissy to float mellifluously over the top. The final track was the otherworldly 'Hey Pluto' from the 2013 'Songs from A Satellite' album. With intertwining tranquil vocal chanting, the set drew to its conclusion. A blissfully mesmerising finale, to an exquisite evening of beautiful music.
Steven C. Gilbert