ENTER THE THUNDERDOME

Featuring new music, news, and other semi-related musings. Now including post-festival coverage of Moogfest 2016! Brought to you courtesy of Sean McNally and 88.3FM WMTS.

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Moogfest Day Two - A Condensed Recap pt. 2

After spending a bit of downtime, I walked over to the Carolina Theater where I caught the performance of London based electronic DJ, Rival Consoles.  Displaying more of a straightforward IDM style, the music felt very similar to fellow UK electronic musician Clark.  Although I’d consider myself a pretty big fan of Clark, I really wasn’t wowed by the performance. So, after staying for a few songs I decided to head on over to the Pinhook music club which was a couple blocks away.

          Around 7:45 p.m. I made it over to Pinhook (a small, intimate bar / music venue) where I caught the performance of local hip hop producer / rapper known as “Trandle”. His hip hop music performance featured a bare bones set-up composed of a sampler and a small mixer, which he used for mixing and triggering loops and drum sequences. Despite its simplicity, the minimalist set-up only served to highlight Trandle’s skill as a music producer. I found Trandle’s performance reminiscent of that of Well$ (another performer at this year’s Moogfest). Another aspect which really drew me in were the live visuals, which were composed of clips from various VHS tapes ranging from subjects such as old 90’s video games and commercials.  With Trandle’s quality drum beats and easy going vibe, I thought this was one of the better performances of the Festival.  

             The next performance I caught was from Portland based drone composer/sound installation artist “Grouper” (aka. Liz Harris) at the Carolina Theater.  After having stood for most of Trandle’s performance, it was a much needed relief to get off my feet and enjoy the performance.  Grouper’s sedate set was composed of her trademark ethereal vocals, mellow guitar tone, and frequent synthesizer loops. Another aspect that greatly enhanced the performance was the visual ambience, namely the use of low-level stage lighting and fog machines. Further adding to the low key performance, Liz sat on the stage Indian style playing her guitar for a majority of the set.  It was a very intimate and hypnotic performance which I thoroughly enjoyed.

             Following Grouper’s performance, I stayed around at the Carolina Theater so that I could catch the festival’s featured artist-in-residence, synth/pop superstar Gary Numan.  If the name isn’t familiar to you, Numan is best remembered for his 80’s new wave hit “Cars.”  However, in the many years since then, Numan has undergone a Gothic Rock phase that has seen him adopt many of the genre’s visual aesthetics, grimly music stylings that have pushed his recent albums closer towards the Darkwave genre.  Such music can be heard on Numan’s latest album called “Splinter”.    Numan has a large touring band which performed songs from a different album for each night.  On the first night they performed songs from Numan’s  album, “Replicants”.  The night that I saw him, the band performed songs from his most famous album, “Pleasure Principle.”   For this performance, Numan artfully combined the heavy edge of his latest material with the classic retro vibe of his earlier albums.  This was accompanied by crunchy, distorted guitars and a series of intense stage lighting.   The standing room only audience was very receptive to Numan’s performance.  Having seen Numan perform for the first time, I was actually blown away and surprised at how well his music has held up over time. Considering I wasn’t able to catch their very first performance of the festival, I was very satisfied to catch them at least once during the fest.

           For the last performance of the night, I headed over to The Armory to catch Detroit based DJ, Robert Hood.  Robert Hood is fairly well known for his lasting brand of Detroit Techno and Minimal Techno music. Hood’s performance was heavily comprised of assembly line four-on-the-floor beats and repetitive electronic samples, which were dished out through his small assortment of mixers and sequencers. His DJ set was also accompanied by amazing visuals which were projected on a screen behind him.  These visuals had greatly enhanced the performance and were provided by the same Moogfest staff who managed the live visuals for UV Boi’s earlier performance. Amazingly, Hood’s performance had the feel of an actual underground club performance and the audience seemed to enjoy the experience.  

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Moogfest Day Two - A Condensed Recap

Day two of the Moogfest Music Festival was quite a contrast from my very first day in Durham, NC. While I spent majority of the first day of the festival catching numerous performances and lingering around venues; the second day was mostly dedicated to exploring Downtown Durham and visiting some of the many Moogfest art installations and attractions. 

 My first stop for the day was the Armory where they were holding the Masterclass Discussion Panel with Alex Paterson (The Orb) and Daniel Lanois.  This turned out to be part Q&A and part mediated discussion with artists.   For those of you not familiar with Alex Patterson, he is the co-founding member of the UK based dub group “The Orb”.  As I previously mentioned in Day 1, Daniel Lanois has a long list of credits as major studio producer, as well as a Alt Rock solo artist.  The panel discussion covered Paterson and Lanois’ training and experience working in the recording industry.  While I wasn’t able to catch very much of Mr. Paterson’s side of the session, I was able to stick around long enough to hear a fellow audience member ask him whether illicit “substances” have had an effect on the development of The Orb’s musical style.  Humorously enough, Patterson acknowledged that hallucinogenic drugs were a major influence on his group’s music and artistic direction in their early years.  

As for Lanois’ portion of the discussion, he reflected on a lot of his memories of working as a producer.  Probably the most interesting story was his recollection of his first meeting with Bob Dylan.  He also discussed his performance on the first night of Moogfest, namely how the sound board / PA system that used greatly distorted the band’s instruments. He thought this may have put off some of the audience.  However, I caught Lanois’ performance and found it to be a very unusual and intriguing in a good way.  The distorted sound reminded me of certain bands, such as Earth, who combine Western styles with Doom metal on some of their albums. After answering a few questions, Daniel Lanois’ treated the audience with a demonstration of the lap steel guitar (was featured in his performance the previous night).   I enjoyed this discussion and found it to be both informative and entertaining.

             I next walked over to the American Tobacco Campus to see what was going on over there. As I mentioned in my Day 1 festival recap, the Campus includes a variety of business offices, restaurants, and outlets. Moogfest had the Pop-up Factory and Modular Market Place, however our first stop was at the Pollinator Synthesizer Installation over at the Burt’s Bees Factory.   Created by mixed media artist Ranjit Bhatnagar, this sound installation explored the tireless activities of honey bees, such as the ones in the Burt’s Bees Observation Hive. Using a series of small microphones, heat sensors, and motion sensors, the Bees activity in the hive was recorded and analyzed and then converted into a series of ambient soundscapes that were projected from two speakers next to the hive.  I thought the sound was very euphoric and  surprisingly, the soundscape had little buzzing and more of a drone quality to it.

     After viewing the Pollinator Synthesizer, I headed over to The Power House building where the Moog Music Pop-Up Factory and Modular Marketplace were located.  I first explored the Pop-Up Factory, which was a room containing vintage synthesizer components / exhibits, makeshift assembly areas (where Moog staff were assembling brand new models of Moog synthesizers), as well as a retail area with various Moog Music instruments and merchandise (such as synthesizers, theremins, mugs, etc.).   To top it off, many of the Moog synthesizers and merchandise were being sold at below market prices. In addition, there was also a few retrospective exhibits on early electronic instruments such as the theremin and Minimoog, along with a table area where Festivalgoers could create a simple scale oscillator unit (a synthesizer component).   However, the coolest part of the Pop-Up Factory was a giant sound installation entitled “Global Synthesizer Project” which was designed by sound artist / electronic musician Yuri Suzuki.  This installation was composed of a multitude of various interconnected synthesizer models, which covered an entire wall.  Festivalgoers were able to interact with the installation and change the various control settings and physical inputs on the synthesizers to create different sounds.  

             Across the hall from the Moog Pop-up Factory was the Modular Marketplace, where representatives from numerous instrument retailers, manufacturers, and designers had brought in a wide selection of both analog and digital synthesizers which were on display for Festivalgoers to test out.  Out of the many synthesizers that I tried at the Marketplace, my favorites were featured at the tables of DJW and Audulus.  First, DJW is a independent manufacturer out of Colorado which builds custom Eurorack synthesizers and effects pedals. At the time, the DJW rep gave me a demonstration of one of the Eurorack models on display. Although it was one of their smaller Eurorack models, I still found the plethora of controls and inputs to be complex and overwhelming.  The second display that really caught my eye was at the Audulus table, where I was given a brief demonstration of their latest music processing software.   The interface was very scaled and could cover an immense number of inputs and channels in regards to digital audio workstations. It actually took me back to my first introduction to Propellerhead’s reasoned software.  

             Before leaving the Modular Marketplace I visited the Revolution Restaurant, which as I now understand, specialized in New American and Modern European cuisine. When I first walked into the Restaurant, I thought it was a Cuban restaurant because the décor had the feel of 1950’s Cold War era.  There were large portraits of Revolutionaries such as Vladimir Lenin, Che Guevara, and Malcom X, along with a small set of vintage T.V.’s (which were showing old news reel footage from that that era). I ordered a fish street taco with a side of black beans and rice, which I found to be reasonably priced and satisfying.    

           Having fortified myself with some lunch, I decided to walk a few blocks over to the 21c. Museum Hotel . There I caught the performance of electronic musician EMA and mixed media artist Jana Hunter as a part of their “Durational Sound Installation”. This turned out to be a free form performance that featured a continuous visual display along with a small cast of musicians playing electronic drone music.  I found this performance to be hypnotic to say the least.   

           I next stopped by a downtown ice cream shop called “The Parlour” for a couple of scoops of decadent dessert.  This shop featured ice cream flavors such as Vietnamese Coffee, strawberry cheesecake, and Key lime pie which were among my favorites. During the course of the festival, I made several return trips back to this ice cream shop.  

          Since I had some time to kill before the next performance, I looked up some of the local record stores in Durham and found one that was about 12 blocks away called  “Schoolkid Records”.  Mainly, I was interested in picking up a copy of Tim Hecker’s latest album (Love Streams) on vinyl, so I decided walk down there. The store had a very good selection of vinyl, and although they didn’t have Tim Hecker’s latest album in stock, I did find one of his earlier albums (”Mirages”) along with some other gems that I purchased.  

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Moogfest Day One - A Condensed Recap pt.2

Following my interview with Zombi, I made my way over to American Underground (an Institution that provides office space and resources for start-up companies) so I could attend “The Art of the Video Game Soundtrack” discussion panel. The Panel was hosted by Patrick McDermott of Ghost Ramp Records, (known for its video game soundtracks, as well as releases from regular artists) along with musician / mixed media artist Ghostdad.   The discussion focused on the changing structures of video game industry and how video game composers are relying more on independent developers and crowd funded projects to bring new video games to the market.  According to Mr. McDermott, more game composers are reassessing the current state of AAA game development and looking to independent developers for new material.  This means more opportunity for independents.  In addition, the discussion panel included videogame composers as special guests (via Skype) such as Danny Baronowsky (Crypt of the Necrodancer, Super Meat Boy), Hugh Myrone (Driftstage), and (most surprisingly!) Austin Jorgensen of Dingaling Games (LISA RPG Series). Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this hour-and-a-half discussion and found it to be lively as much as it was informative.

             At around 6:00 pm, the downtempo electronica group, Hundred Waters was scheduled to perform at Motorco Park (a makeshift outdoor stage located next to Motorco Music Hall), so soon after the panel discussion, I made the long trek over to the area.  This three-member group out of northern Florida is composed by female lead singer Nicole Miglis, producer / sequencer Trayer Tryon and drummer Zach Tetreault.   Hundred Waters’ music is characterized by their dreamy and somewhat ethereal style (which is often compared to Triphop stalwarts Portishead). While that may not sound like an ideal fit for a opening act, neither the lingering rain, nor the group’s mellow vibe, steered away the festivalgoers.  In fact, those who braved the rain were treated to a fantastic opening performance by Hundred Waters. The lead singer’s soothing vocals flowed gently across popular songs as “Innocent” and “Murmurs” (from their esteemed 2014 release “The Moon Rang Like a Bell”), while Trayer’s samples and drum sequences provided some much needed energy to the live set.

 Thanks to my Press Pass, I was able to get a front row view of Hundred Waters and capture some real nice photos of their performance. 

           While waiting for the next group to perform at Motorco Park, I wandered next door to Motorco Music Hall where I was pleasantly surprised to hear what sounded like Indie Pop.  I soon discovered that the groovy tunes were from none other than Finland’s own Jakko Eino Kalevi.   Hailing from a country that is better known musically for its extreme metal than its indie pop, I was rather taken aback.   Moreover, I was left awestruck by Kalevi’s alluring croons and highly infectious tunes. If I had to describe Kalevi’s music, I’d say it was the European lovechild of fellow U.S. bands, Dent May and Youth Lagoon.  This was the first of many memorable performances from some of the under-the-radar groups/performers that I discovered at Moogfest.

           The next performance I caught was Floating Points Ensemble at Motorco Park.  Initially a solo project of UK based DJ Sam Shepard, Floating Points has since grown into a six person ensemble that employs a mixture of jazz fusion and IDM. Focusing mostly on material from their 2015 album “Elaeina,” the group greatly captivated the crowd with their on-stage chemistry along with a unique background light display (that was placed at the center of the stage). The light display, (which tied in with the album’s main theme) started out with simple patterns, but slowly evolved throughout the set and became more and more complex as the songs progressed.   I’d even go so far to say that the group’s on-stage performance was far better than the original studio recordings.    

       Once again, my Press Pass gave me a bird’s eye view of Floating Points Ensemble’s performance.  Photos of the performance and the light show can be found in the photo gallery. 

         A short time later, while waiting for the next performers to take the stage at Mortoco Park, I walked next door to Motorco Music Hall, to find the living legend that is Silver Apples (aka Siemon) performing.  Now, to give readers some context, Silver Apples was a two member Psychedelic / Electronic Rock group out of New York that was formed way back in 1967.   The duo, which then included drummer Danny Taylor, released two otherworldly albums in the early 1970’s before calling it quits. While co-member Siemon attempted to revive the group in the 90′s, matters were complicated further with the passing of fellow member Danny Taylor in 2005.  However, a few years later Siemon began performing under the Silver Apples name as a solo project, using only his synthesizer, vocals, and samples of Danny Taylor’s rhythm tracks.    

       As for the performance itself, it was very unique to say the least and certainly nothing like I’ve ever seen. At first it as like watching a distant time traveler that stumbled out of a portal and started chanting visions of the future. However, as the set progressed, the retro, spacey sounds of the music seemed not too far off from classic Krautrock groups Faust and Harmonia. If there was one big takeaway from this performance, I would say that watching the crowd give the 78-year old musician a huge extended ovation was certainly one of the big moments of the festival.

           Around 10:00 pm, I made the long trek back to the Carolina Theater area, so that I could catch a few more performances before calling it a night. The first of which was from London’s very own UV Boi (at The Armory). I was quite impressed with UV Boi’s DJ set; however, what really blew me away were the live visuals that were being projected on the screen behind him (which I would describe the visuals as futuristic overly trippy).   See the Photo Gallery for pictures of UV Boi’s performance.

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Moogfest Day One - A Condensed Recap pt.1

I arrived in Durham, N.C. around 1:00 pm and headed downtown to the Carolina Theater to collect my fest armband and press passes for the weekend’s performances. As a student in the Recording Industry Program at Middle Tennessee State University (“MTSU”) and a DJ at the student run radio station (88.3 FM WMTS), I agreed to cover the Moogfest music festival on behalf of the station. The key benefit of performing the festival coverage is that I could spread the station’s name and hopefully attract a bit of interest outside of Tennessee. On the other hand, by having press and photo access to the festival’s numerous venues, I could get up-close access to many of the performances and bring back plenty of photos and videos.

As such, I have uploaded some of my festival photos to the Photo Gallery to share with my followers and fellow readers of this blog.   

After picking up the festival passes, I went for a short trip around the block to see what was in the area. This was actually supposed to mark the first year that Moogfest has been held outside of Asheville NC, and yet I did not see any signs of disorganization during my first few hours on the festival grounds.    The Festival’s many workshops, performances, and art installations were spread out among several venues within a 3-5 block radius of the downtown area, which made travel between the venues very convenient. To top it off, the weather for the first day was comfortable and around the mid-60s, so exploring the downtown Durham area was fairly pleasant.

Since I had some time to kill before the first workshop of the day, I decided to walk a few blocks down to The American Tobacco Campus. Originally the site of a local Lucky Strike tobacco factory, this complex is now home to numerous restaurants, business offices, and public attractions within its many warehouses.  While I didn’t have much time to explore the entire area, I took some of my first photos of the festival while I was over here.  Of particular note is the area called “the Cage”, which is an enclosed basketball court located near the front gate of the Campus. (See Picture above).  

This is where Moogfest had one of its main Merch Booths set up, along with a sound installation called, “PLAY,” (created by the design firm IDEO). The sound installation was composed of 7 to 8 giant rubber balls that would trigger an individual tone (corresponding to the size of the sphere) upon contact. The main purpose behind the installation was to create spontaneous music through the use of casual play, therefore, festivalgoers were highly encouraged to join in a play around. During my brief visit (and return visits) to The Cage) it appeared that the Installation was quite popular with festival attendees.

Around 2:30 p.m., I walked back over to the Carolina Theater so I could prepare for my interview with Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra of the Pittsburg synth duo, Zombi. Since the duo was slated to perform later that night at the Motorco Music Hall, I had greatly appreciated them for taking the time to speak on behalf of WMTS. 

                                                        To Be Continued...

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Well, after Day 1 I have a huge amount of photos to sort through. I’m also gonna look at doing a full recap soon.

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Moogfest Day 1 in a nutshell

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Must See Performances of Moogfest - Tim Hecker

Quebec-based experimental musician, Tim Hecker, seems to defy expectation time after time with each album that he undertakes. Moving from the harsh drone / noise setpieces from his collaborative album with Daniel Lopatin, (aka. Oneohtrix Point Never, who is also going to be performing this Saturday night) on “Instrumental Tourist”, to the Philip Glass-esque tonal structures of “Virgins”, each release brings out new concepts and complex themes. The same can be said on his most recent album, “Love Streams”, (just released in late April on 4AD Records) as it presents a greater balancing point between the feedback-heavy soundscapes and melancholic melodies of his atmospheric styling of Drone.

Just to give you better idea of this style of music, Drone can be best described as a derivative of ambient music that relies heavily on repetition and overlapping song structures along with frequent chord clashing. This particular genre is generally not very accessible for newcomers, however it has seen increased popularity in recent years thanks to the likes of fellow Kranky label mates Grouper (who will be performing Saturday night at Motorco Music Hall) and Stars of The Lid. 

That aside, while he’s not on one of the headlining slots for this year’s festival, he should by no means be overlooked. For me personally, I felt that he was the key deciding factor for attending this year. Given that I finally have the opportunity to catch him this close to home, I for one cannot wait to see this mastermind in action. With that said, let’s just hope we can hear at least one track off of “Harmonies In Ultraviolet” during this weekend’s set.

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Moogfest is almost here and momentarily, I’ll be leaving for North Carolina. I’ve got a couple photos and reports lined up for you guys so stay tuned and I should have them uploaded throughout the week.

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Hey there folks, sorry for the extra delay. I’ve been trying to juggle around a few post topics along with a some oddjobs on the side.

Anyway since Moogfest is almost here, I’ve decided to switch gears and do a few simple performer previews and maybe a preview on one of the film screenings. I still need to do some prep work for the trip down, so I’ll see what I can put together. 

If there’s anything I’ve gained from my first few drafts it’s that I tend to reorganize my thoughts before I put them down on paper. With that in mind, I’ll see if I can focus my writing on the spur of the moment rather than trying get it perfect the first time around.

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AGALLOCH Unexpectedly Just Announced They’ve Broken Up

Well, this really sucks.

Click here for more

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We’re already less than a week away from Moogfest. I’ve got some updates and previews lined up for you guys so hold tight and I should start rolling them out by tomorrow evening.

Also, I’ve added dedicated pages for polls and playlists, so be sure to take a look at em’ if you get a chance.

-Sean

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