Listeners who have come in contact with the music of Guido Möbius solely through his album releases are in for surprise when they attend one of his gigs. That is mainly due to the fact that Möbius makes no attempt whatsoever to translate the album tracks into a live performance. On the contrary: With the help of no more than his guitar, his voice, a trumpet and loads of effect pedals, he creates highly energetic music in between humour and hypnosis. Another element that makes his performances so special is his spontanous interaction with the audience. Möbius always invites chance to be his accomplice.
On stage Guido Möbius is surrounded by his serially connected effects units that he controls as if in a trance. Every step in the creation of his music is public: When Möbius activates one of his pedals, the audience are a witness to this process and its result. Nothing is mysteriously conceived behind laptop screens. Möbius‘ music happens before his audiences‘ very eyes (and ears). This accounts for a large part of the fascination of his performances. The other (and maybe even greater) part results from the turns his music take, which never fails to surprise the audience.
In his live sets Möbius creates delicate links between experimentation, handmade techno, funk, polyrhythmic patterns, acid, weird noises and gospel music. Methodically prepared passages and improvisation combine into a coherent set, and Möbius deals with the energy on the fly. Failures and restarts are constant companions and sources of inspiration. At times, Möbius piles up loops of vocal-, trumpet- or guitar-sounds into a mighty drone whose gravity is interrupted abruptly by a driving beat or a gospel choir. It’s different every time.
Guido Möbius is one of those musicians you can positively recognize by their sound. At that it does’nt matter whatever musical stops Möbius is pulling out or what instruments or stylistics he’s applying. His wit, his sobriety, his wealth of ideas and his very own musical dialect attest his authorship. If Möbius sends one of his tracks on its journey you’ll never know where that journey might end. And it’s enormous fun to follow its musical mutations. The Berlin musician masters the art of subtly slipping us radical sounds and keeping a track in its flow even with the most unexpected twists and turns.
