Johan Lenox is not something that we at Rockflesh Towers would cover all too often. Despite this, his mixture of lo-fi hip hop with a unique classical arrangement is something that appeals to me as a listener and therefore when I saw he was supporting Polyphia, I gave him a listen and was immediately intrigued. His skills as a producer are unmatched, with a resume that includes working for Kanye West, Travis Scott and Brockhampton. These influences are all over his work, with trap influenced, bass heavy drums, immaculately complimented by his unique MO of classical influence. Staccato Strings and sweeping orchestral movements add a level of atmosphere that isn’t often found in modern day hip hop, with paint by numbers beats and production being the order of the day across a lot of what would be considered contemporary. Vocally, I'm reminded a bit of Post Malone or Kevin Abstract and it all comes together to create a sound that is very much up my street outside of the realms of metal. Slight technical hitches did hinder the set somewhat, however Johan Lenox managed to recover from this exceedingly well, showcasing a further level of professionalism. I was mightily impressed with Johan Lenox and will seek to listen to his work in a lot more depth after this performance.  

There’s no doubt about it, the four members of Polyphia are absolute virtuosos when it comes to their abilities with their respective instruments. The predominantly instrumental compositions bring together the most technical aspects of a range of genres from Hip Hop to Classical Spanish to EDM to Djent, all stitched together to create mind bending, technically impeccable works of art. Initially, I'd have deemed Polyphia as being quite inaccessible when it comes to understanding what they’re about. They come across as being musicians for musicians, however, they have recently been the beneficiaries of a large social media reach, with their demonstration and playthrough videos amassing millions of views across all forms of social media. This leads to a justifiably sold out Manchester Ritz all wanting to see what Polyphia are about when it comes to a live performance.  

The stage setting is an incredibly simple one, there are no bells and whistles, no visual screens, just a backdrop, couple of amps, a small drum riser and a bog-standard light show. It is clear that with this simple presentation that Polyphia are more than confident to just let the music do the talking and don’t need a large presentation to add another dimension to their performance – a bold move if you ask me. Whilst it is admirable that they have enough confidence in their music to compose such a simple live show, I can’t help but think they’d have been the beneficiaries of this added dimension that was missing. A screen that produced some simple visuals or an enhanced lightshow would’ve added a level of captivation that will have complimented their music quite nicely and would’ve given the feel of a sonic journey through Polyphia’s music which would’ve worked quite nicely. 

 Polyphia and their music failed to captivate me in the way that it captivated other people in the audience and whilst I was initially rather quite impressed at their individual abilities and their skill at composing such intricate music, the novelty worn off after about 2 or 3 songs. For me, there’s only so much I can take of before my attention starts to dwindle a bit. Despite my own reservations about their performance, the rest of the audience was completely at the mercy of Polyphia and their calls for audience participation. Every call for crowd surfers, mosh pits and walls of death were completely adhered to, and it gave the feeling of being at a traditional metal show, not that of a 70 minute showcase of individual musical brilliance. What was most striking to me with respect to the audience is that it was impossible to pinpoint a single demographic. Polyphia seemingly have this universal appeal that brings together people from all walks of life, and that in itself, having the ability to bring in a multicultural audience to witness something as technically sound and as specific as the music that Polyphia have made their name with, it is quite astonishing.  

As a listener however, I found it hard to connect with Polyphia on a personal level. When it comes to music, I like music that resonates with me, something that I can relate too and latch onto, and I struggle to do this with Polyphia. The disconnect between virtuosity and the average listener made it feel like I was watching a performance that would be best placed as an artist showcase at a musical workshop as opposed to a Friday night concert. Whilst there is nothing wrong with that, it’s not something I would seek out myself as a way to spend my Friday night. Despite my own personal reservations, it is obvious from the audience reaction that Polyphia are doing something right, and If they continue to utilise the advantages of a strong social media presence, they’re a band that are only going to go from strength to strength off the back of this tour.  

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Polyphia, Johan Lenox