I had heard exciting rumors about these American anarchists living in the Czech Republic, so when I found out they had a show in Seoul, there was no way I would miss it. Sabot is a drum and bass duo whose influences range from punk and hardcore to free-form and avant-garde jazz. They were the original rhythm section for a San Francisco progressive folk punk band, Forethought; then sometime around 1986 they picked up and moved to the Czech Republic and became Sabot.

Sabot played two shows in Seoul--both of them free. Apparently the owner of Aura thought they should build up a fan base for their first time in Korea. The two bands that opened for them were both noise bands (including members from “the other?Bulgasari) and I began to wonder just what I was getting into. I was relieved when Sabot came out; they started with a roaming funk bass line then stepped on the over drive and didn’t turn back. I can’t really think of any drum and bass groups to compare them to other than maybe a much heavier version of Mike Watt. Imagine stripped down hardcore injected with jazz: something Candiria might play if they only had a drum and bass. Both the bass and drum parts were highly technical with progressive rhythms and changing time signatures.

They started off with the bipolar “Deadline?and played most of the other songs from that album (DIO) as well as some earlier material. Flying through their songs, I didn’t get much chance to catch my breath. I spent the set pretty much staring in awe. There were no vocals on any of the stuff they played although they do have some in a few of their other songs. Different from anything I’ve heard since I’ve been in Korea, Sabot was a good band to shake me up a bit and inspire the imagination. Catching you off-guard and opening the mind to new possibilities is the same energy that gave birth to punk in the first place. Sabot captures that energy well and in their own way.

After the set I had chance to talk with Chris and hear about not only Sabat, but also CESTA a “Cultural Exchange Station?he and Hilary run in Tabor (south of Prague). CESTA is a cultural / performance space “committed to developing communication through creative expression?and “discovering new ways for us all to cross barriers of intolerance and isolation.?Through performances, workshops and gatherings they attempt to create a space to challenge accepted norms and promote participatory culture. I won’t use this review to go into more detail but if you’re interested, look them up online.

Photo courtesy of Stu at Club Badabi