Throwing Snow at Rough Trade East

Any apprehension of a gig without lyrics was instantly melted the moment Throwing Snow, aka Ross Tones, took to the stage and began his set. Tones, an astrophysics graduate, showcased his new album Mosaic last night at Rough Trade East last, taking his audience on a journey to a new planet. Beginning with a simple xylophone that ended in a spectacular cacophony of genres some 40 minutes later, this was a night that truly pushed the boundaries of electronic fusion.

Moments of euphoria coated in keyboards and wind chimes were brought back to reality with soft guitars, but it’s the ominous parts that allowed for seconds of lucidity before Tones took you off somewhere else. During these menacing moments he allows the tracks to twist and turn, constantly forming something new and encouraging his fans to explore a new sphere.

As his set oscillated between genres and galaxies the audience were with him every step of the way. The brooding bass on Avarice was so heavy the floor shook and sent shivers to the crowd’s fingertips whilst their feet tingled. On one track he used an out of tune violin which gave the feeling that you were there in the studio with him experimenting. The small yet captivated crowd were kept enthralled throughout, which for an early start on a week-night is an achievement in itself.

Tones’ seamlessly blended set used such an array of instruments and sounds it’s impossible to pigeon hole him. One track feels like it’s 2am at festival and the next feels like a sunset at Mambo in Ibiza. He’s so adaptable and refreshingly experimental it’s clear to see he will definitely become more popular, especially after performing at Radio 1 earlier in the week. If you get the chance to see him don’t miss it.

Samantha Waite
Photo: @lossylossylossy

For further information and future events visit Throwing Snow’s website here.

Watch the video for Avarice here: