Low - Live at Austin Community Television (ACTV) Main Studio (1996)

 

Mimi Parker, the drummer for Low, died last month, after a battle with ovarian cancer.  She and her husband Alan Sparhawk were the two main members of the long-running and genre-defining slowcore band Low.  

I first learned of Low from the Joy Division tribute LP "A Means to an End", where their cover of "Transmission" was a standout among a strong LP.  Based on my enjoyment of their track, I got several of their early LPs, although I don't have nearly enough of their lengthy discography.  

Low's sparse, slow sound is perfect for contemplative late night listening.  Mimi's three piece drum kit,  as shown in the image above, is a nice metaphor for their minimalist, yet surprisingly large sound.  This 1996 four song set, which includes "Transmission", is a good example of their sound at the time.  I don't know the exact date of this concert, but setlist.fm puts them in Austin on both 1996-04-18 and 1996-03-15.

Low had a number of different bassists through the years, but Alan and Mimi were the constants.  Even if Alan continues to make music, I'm not sure he can continue as "Low" without Mimi.  

Bonus link: "Transmission" (studio version), original (Joy Division)

PS -- Given Alan a follow on Twitter; he's thoughtful and engaging.