Copenhagen band D/troit played an afternoon set at Aarhus’s SPOT festival yesterday, and wowed the crowd with their warm, soulful playing and never-ending dance moves.
By Daphne Henning, Jutland Station
Tapping percussion and a rambling, rhythmic bass set the stage for 35 minutes of true blue funk. With a lengthy instrumental introduction, suddenly a slim man in a flat cap appears on stage, and his powerhouse vocals elicit an immediate and tangible change in the atmosphere. Frontman Toke Nisted grabs the mic and blasts his voice through it, complementing the instruments resounding around him — trumpet, electric organ, baritone sax, guitar.
Their groove brings your mind decades back to the heyday of funk and wild hair and colorful clothes. Little of the latter is witnessed in the crowd of mostly Scandinavians, but even the typically stoic Nordics find themselves a-movin’ to the beat. Nisted’s sharp, controlled screaming into the mic reflects back cheers from the crowd at the end of nearly every song.
Nisted’s throbbing temples, gyrating hips, and wobbling knees demonstrate he’s got soul down into his bones. Photo: Daphne Henning.
The fledgling Copenhagen band formed in 2013, and released their first single “The 45” this past November. Their debut EP is titled “Do the Right Thing,” and was released through Crunchy Frog Recordings.
With the start of their song, “Believe,” the bass slows and the emphasis is briefly put on the organ, punching out the downbeat and leading into another chance for heavy crooner Nisted to make love to the microphone.
When asked about his reaction to the band’s performance, spectator Rasmus Møller could only say, “wow.”
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Daphne Henning is a journalist from the USA, and is currently the Photography Editor for Jutland Station.