Live Report: Treha Sektori

Artist: Treha Sektori (FR)

Venue: Petit Bain

Location: Paris, France

Date: 23rd September 2025

Few artists in the dark ambient scene command more respect than the French Treha Sektori, and for good reason. The talented multimedia artist behind it, Dehn Sora, is not only an accomplished musician in his own right, but also one of the foremost illustrators and visual artists of today's alternative scene, whose work spans across musical genres and media forms. Naming all of his projects and contributions would probably take up the space of an article in its own right; speaking about Treha Sektori specifically, however, it has to be said that the project has been in its dormant phase for a while now, with the last album, Rejet, coming out in 2021, and the project only making an occasional live appearance in the meantime. That's why I was ecstatic to learn that he would be the opening act for Wiegedood's De Doden Hebben Het Goed European tour in September 2025, as I would get to see not one, but two exceptionally good live experiences the same evening, albeit in rather different genres.

As I made my way to the alternative music mecca that is the Petit Bain boat venue docked along the left bank of the Seine, having downed half a bottle of wine at home in order not to be left at the mercy of Parisian concert organisers in terms of alcohol selection and quality, I came to realise that I had already seen Treha Sektori there once, namely 12 years ago at Cyclic Law's 10th Anniversary festival, alongside Havan, Vestigial, Sophia, Desiderii Marginis and Arcana (I dare you to find a better congregation of dark ambient artists in a single space in the history of the genre). Shortly afterwards, I got to see him again, although in the very different setting of a small venue in Trondheim, Norway, at Blåsvart Aften #7, in the middle of the deep Norwegian winter. Several things struck me about both performances back then: how much of his music Dehn Sora performs live on actual instrumentation, the sheer quality of the video backdrop that could have been a short film in its own right, and how well he adapts to large and small stages alike. Therefore, to say that I was excited to see him in a live setting again after 12 years would be an understatement. As I saw the stylised Treha Sektori logo projected on the backdrop (which, despite its relatively simple typography, actually contains all of the letters in the project name if you look closely enough), this excitement grew palpable. Shortly afterwards, the artist himself came up on stage, and it was time for the show.

In a way, everything I loved about experiencing Treha Sektori live more than a decade ago was still there, but better. The set opened with pulsating drones created live through a guitar, over a video backdrop of molten bones (it seems Dehn was influenced by the visual work he recently did for Deathspell Omega as much as vice versa). The start of the set had a surprisingly mechanical feel to it, with Dehn's trademark grunted vocals joining the drones as modified humanoids filled the backdrop. Things soon took a somewhat calmer turn as the aural focus switched to live percussion, with a stunning video section featuring the North Sea splashing over the spectacular rocky shores of Normandy, then showcasing human figures with elaborate animal-like masks, giving them a very mythological feel. In a typically Treha Sektori turn, classic percussion slowly faded out to give way to processed breathing used as a rhythmic instrument; even as someone who has experienced Treha Sektori live multiple times in the past, I still couldn't believe how much of his live set was actually created live rather than being simply played back. The rhythmic nature of the set was pronounced throughout this part, as the backdrop took a more abstract turn, still playing a lot with bones and bone-like humanoids and other creatures that somehow managed to combine the aesthetics of skeleton fossils of long-extinct animals with a distinctly SF feel. The set took a more drone-oriented turn next, with Dehn creating his audio magic using a bow on his guitar, creating an almost overwhelming drone as background for dissonant chords and occasional rhythmic sections. The final part of the set delved deeper into the ritual ambience that the project is so famous for, including Dehn's guttural vocals over visuals of mummified figures suspended from their own horns. The show finished with a swirling audio-visual crescendo that acted almost as a recap of everything we had witnessed over the previous 40 minutes, until it finally nosedived into a deep silence that was duly interrupted by thunderous applause from the audience.

While snapping out of the utterly fascinated stupor that Treha Sektori had placed me in, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having been able to experience the project live again after so many years. Rather than have a dulling effect, years seem to have only reinforced Dehn Sora's live presence, and he seemed particularly comfortable on the kind of bigger stage that dark ambient, being the niche genre it is, rarely bestows upon its artists. I could tell by the mesmerised faces of unsuspecting Wiegedood fans that they enjoyed the gig just as much as I did, and I hope that this tour will bring the criminally underappreciated Treha Sektori some well-deserved new fans. I can only hope that the two weeks Dehn Sora spent on the road will serve as a prequel to a new release soon enough.