Gus Gus’ Power Short-Circuits

SANTA ANA —  The alchemy of a live setting can transform a performer’s material, even if it’s being played for the thousandth time.

In the world of techno, where gadgetry, rather than heart and soul, drive the music, magical moments are harder to come by. What works in the studio doesn’t necessarily translate into a captivating live experience, a point hammered home by Gus Gus during an ill-conceived, uninvolving presentation Saturday night at the Galaxy Concert Theatre.

A nine-piece Icelandic collective of writers, film directors, computer programmers, deejays, photographers and musicians, the electronic-powered Gus Gus released a promising debut this year titled “Polydistortion.” Its 10 songs, which touch on trance, ambient, trip-hop and acid jazz styles, smartly avoid sounding repetitive by infusing just enough subtle textures and a variety of moods and colors into the mix.

But the group offered no such range to a crowd of about 150. Working from a set list that omitted several key tracks, including the haunting “Remembrance” and the existential “Is Jesus Your Pal?,” a droning, synth-happy Gus Gus seemed determined to pound out one similar-sounding, beat-heavy dance number after the next.

This singular reliance on hard-driving, pre-programmed soundscapes did eventually find its danceable groove, but it quickly grew tiresome. Mechanized monotony buried the emotional undercurrents that recommend the group’s best work, like “Believe,” which passionately attacks the worship of false gods.

Throughout the evening, Gus Gus--led by singers Daniel Agust, Magnus Jonsson and 18-year-old Hafdis Huld--maintained an icy distance by virtually ignoring the audience and immersing themselves in the dark stage lighting. Perhaps they believed their multimedia presentation, featuring a slew of video images and impressionistic catch-phrases, would suffice. But the constant sloganeering (“I shall come when I’m ready,” “The concept is fairly easy to understand,” etc.) proved far more distracting than illuminating.

It wasn’t until the band’s first encore that a song finally reached out with the power to communicate. Sung by Huld, the slow-paced, offbeat love song titled “Blue Mug” ended in an urgent whisper: “Will you make me new?” Without more tunes like it, Gus Gus made a cool, wet night feel even colder.

* Gus Gus appears tonight at the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 9 p.m. (310) 278-9457.