Live at the Festival of World Cultures

Icelandic ensemble Amiina, the former string backing for Sigur Ros, headlined Saturday night at the Pavilion, one of the quieter attractions at the Festival of World Cultures in Dun Laoghaire.
The night began with Irish fiddler Caoimhin O Raghallaigh, whose fiddle had a scroll shaped like a lion's head – and his was the most traditional of instruments in the show that followed.
Amiina took turns playing the various instruments strewn around the stage. Magnus Trygvason's drumming was minimalist and atmospheric, while Kippi Kaninus's electronic sounds and samplings added to the mood. On the wall behind them, film clips produced a kaleidoscopic effect. Taken together, it all resembled a modern art installation, or one of Warhol's Plastic Inevitable events.
The band played pieces from their most recent and upcoming albums, but the highlight of the show was the opening suite, four five-minute-long mood pieces that featured musical saw melodies - producing a sound like a theremin without the electricity. It also featured at one point the vibes and glockenspiel played with bows, which gave a haunting sound.
Our only complaint is that the ushers allowed people inside between the mood changes, when Kaninus held a note as the group changed places. This disrupted the ambience created by the exotic sounds and images. Otherwise no one coughed, no one whispered.