Tuesday, August 30th, 201 6 |

 

Reviews:

Soren Spicknall

I'l‘ ‘ /

ae@technewsiit.com 5

over a foundation of minimal minor—key pia—

Les Etoiles come full circle on “Alight, Alight"

WIIT STATION MANAGE R

Eight years after the quiet 2008 re—
lease of his debut album ‘Never to Alight’, UK
native David Fitzpatrick begins his latest release
with a refrain of the closest thing that first LP
had to a title track, “Empty Carriage.” While a
back—to—back listening of both the original and
the new version, titled “Empty Carriage (Re—
turn Iourney),” reveals a significant increase
in production value over the course of the last
decade, it also demonstrates how remarkably
stark Fitzpatrick’s work has become under
the moniker Les Etoiles. The 2008 recording
already seems minimal when first heard, ac—
cented only by quiet guitar strumming, atmo—
spheric keyboard, and somber bells, but the
reimagined recording released as part of this
summer’s ‘Alight, Alight’ is even more sparse—
ly composed, with only a piano keeping the
melody company. This introduction serves as
a blueprint for an entire album to come, a quiet
release even in the career of an artist primarily
defined by his music’s dreamlike qualities.

Released like every Les Etoiles al—
bum before it, on London—based netlabel Re—
cords on Ribs, home to artists as diverse as the
academic Hip Hop of Talk Less, Say More and
the all—out psychotic break of genre—hopping
“dreamy noise” group Strap The Button, ‘Alight,
Alight’ is the artist’s fifth to date. Les Etoiles”
basic formula has always been reliable: Fitzpat—
rick’s masterfully controlled baritone washes

 

no, the former often layered against itself for
a symphonically intimate effect. What’s most
remarkable here is that those two building
blocks encapsulate the entirety of this album’s
sonic landscape, free from the experiments
with guitar, synthesizers, and unobtrusive elec—
tronic percussion which punctuated previous
works from Les Etoiles. The emotional intent
here seems to be reflective both in style and
content, its songwriting scope localized and
its pared—down accompaniment permitting
a focus on lyrics. ‘Alight, Alight’s’ entire tone
seems to bring a mental close to each of Fitz—
patrick’s previous albums, a possibility hinted
at in its name and its description on the artist’s
Bandcamp page, which declares it “the closing
of a circle, or the completion of a long journey
home.”

While Les Etoiles has never found
significant recognition beyond the small com—
munity which surrounds Fitzpatrick in Eng—
land, the project’s discography will always
stand on its own as a testament to the potential
of new beauty to be found in piano minimal—
ism, a facet of music that some would consider
played— out. Some fans may prefer older albums
for their more fleshed—out instrumentation,
but ‘Alight, Alight’ is proof that Les Etoiles re—
mains compelling even in David Fitzpatrick’s
most basic form. 7.1/10

Union Board's Hawks Coffeehouse continues into its fourth year, now on Wednesday nights

Reno Waswil
DISTROBUTION MANAG ER

For those uninitiated with Campus
Life, Illinois Tech’s premier event programming
organization, Union Board (UB), has been a
historic presence on this campus and promoter
of its goal “to have fun” since its founding in
1938. UB is known for putting on what is by
far, the most, and some of the biggest and
best events every semester, thanks to the deep
dedication of its members and its communal
experience and know—how. Although not as
big as what are referred to as their “Traditions”
events, (e.g. Homecoming, Spring Formal, and
MTCC Late Niite) Hawks Coffeehouse has
been one of the most consistently popular and
longest—running periodic events, enough so to
bring it into its fourth continuous year this Fall
2016 Semester.

Although it has seen changes in
its names, logo, and a few other features
throughout the years, the mainstays of the
event have stayed the same and have been
passed down from lead—programmer to lead—
programmer: UB’s Music Committee recruits
student, local, and national, usually pop and
folk—styled musical (and poetry) artists to do
performances for anyone in the student body
who wishes to attend. This is paired with hot
drinks (e.g. coffee, tea, hot chocolate, apple
cider) and usually a sweet treat of some kind.
Every other week, from 7 to 8 p.m., students
gather in the MTCC Welcome Center (the
area off to the side of the State Street doors
into the MTCC) to drink in the music or what
have you, the good spirits, and the coffee and
let the day wind down. Thanks to Alien Sound
and Lighting’s consistently reliable and expert
support, Hawks Coffeehouse (often called

“Starhawks” or just “Coffeehouse”) has never
failed to be an enjoyable experience to those
lucky enough to be able to attend, who come to
watch, do homework or read, and respectively
socialize.

One major change that was decided
last year by the UB Executive Board for the
event as it enters this new academic year is
that instead of having it on Tuesday nights as
it has been since its conception, it is now going
to take place on Wednesday nights 7—8 pm.
According to Union Board’s Music and Dance
Chair, Citlali Bueno, the change occurred
because students were consistently unable to
attend the event for a set of the same regularly
timed classes. It was deemed worth changing
it for at least one semester to see if the new
time would be a better fit, as well as to better
coordinate this event with other regular on—
campus UB event, “Wishflix” a monthly movie

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event on Wednesdays at 9 pm. in the Wishnick
Hall Auditorium.

The first performance is scheduled
for Wednesday, August 1, 2016 featuring multi—
instrumental “looping—artist” Noah Hoehn to
kick off the start of the biweekly event. The
following performers are scheduled to be a set
of student performers (still being worked out)
on September 14, Nelly’s Echo on September
28, Lakin on October 12, Poet Neil Hilborn on
October 26, Dan Henig on November 9, and
what UB hopes to be a Hawks Coffeehouse
Student Performer Cabaret for the last
event this semester on November 23. Those
interested in taking part either this semester
or in future semesters are advised to email
music@ubiit.org.

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