PLASMA MAGAZINE

Songwriter, producer, and pop imagineer Julie Slonecki addresses generational questions and existential crises with synth-pop on her new track, “88.” Accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek music video, Sloncecki questions the status-quo of the world around her, asking if positive change is possible in our rigged system. The music video, shot on an iPhone, lightens the lyric’s heavy content with kitschy 80’s style and charming low-budget effects. The track is her most direct political statement to date, giving a sharper edge to her typical unapologetically optimistic output. If there’s a cure to 21st-century anxiety and generational doldrums, it’s whatever Slonceki’s sipping on. 

Check out Slonecki’s comment on the track and the video for “88” below. 

"88 tackles the difficulty our generation often faces living in this hectic world, where we are just trying to get by, but yet we feel this looming expectation for us to step up and stand up for causes we believe in, and create change.  If we don't, does that make us bad people? If we do, how do we balance our own personal lives and struggles with fighting for these larger causes? And is the game too rigged at this point for us to even play?”

Local Hip Hop artist, Boregard., just released the visual accompaniment to his latest radio charting single “Plans.” Boregard. states, “that the song highlights his sense of humor and creativity while playing homage to archetypical villains and story telling rappers like Slick Rick.”

Think Thrice is a triple threat just as his name suggests. Recording, production, and writing vocal lines are all skills in his arsenal. Think Thrice's most recent project WhatIsHeWorth, released on Atlanta based record label Harsh Riddims, is a stand out example of his musical versatility and a showcase of his wide range of influences.

The project as a whole can quickly be identified as hip-hop due to the bouncy vocals on many of the tracks, but with a deeper listen you begin to hear unique soundscapes that draw from other genres. On the aptly titled 2nd track, “ILOVETHIS,” you hear a mounting and driving arrangement of drums and ambient sounds that establish a bed for Thrice's lyrics to lay on. Ambient house influences are prominent on many of the tracks.

Industrial and glitchy sounds are present on tracks like “ItWasMeant,” subsequently creating a cold aura to pair with the warm familiarity of the hip-hop based lyrical lines. Overall the composition of the project seems to transport listeners into a futuristic space-themed cyberpunk lounge, and I love it. Sonically, the vocal section on many songs throughout the project feels reminiscent of  Los Angeles producer and rapper Madlib sans the high pitched twists and turns of Quasimoto.

Harsh Riddims has a great line up of producers and artist to check out Think Thrice seems to be setting the tone for the last quarter of the year with WhatIsHeWorth by answering the question that the title suggests. Think Thrice is worth a listen and a purchase.

Curbside Veggie Grill has gradually become a staple in the Atlanta DIY community. From pop-ups at your favorite musical performance to a permeating presence at numerous outdoor festivals and events. Aisha Allah - owner and head chef - has gained an esteemed reputation around Atlanta.

From the moment you walk in the vicinity of Curbside Veggie Grill's fragrant stand you become ensnared by an aromatic stimulation that you wouldn't expect from a mobile food vendor. Spices and fresh ingredients fill the space between you and their quaintly decorated stand. The scent wraps around you and pulls you in to catch a glimpse at the permeating savor.

Food isn't the only thing Aisha serves. She provides customers with a warm and generous demeanor. A family is important and Curbside represents that statement well. Curbside is a family operated company, and they go out of their way to make their customers feel like they are apart of their family. When this is done right, that feeling lingers and creates a culture of love and uninhibited expression. It's similar to art in that way. Aisha is pushing boundaries and creating culture via inspiring fare.

Aisha's upcoming curated event, Aroma the Experience, is a combination of many different artistic mediums into one experience. The fusion of conventional art, food and music can seem simple, but given that our sense of taste takes precedent makes the experience something to anticipate. Curbside wants to create an environment of enjoyment that leaves a lasting impression on all of your senses.

The event will be hosted by Emmy Wu and FUN and features special musical performances by Edi, Jaixx, Auni Saxton, Kris with a K Poetry and more. Exclusive drink and teas will be provided by Majestea, and Eighty7sweets will provide a very special vegan dessert menu. Also, be sure to check out live painting in the mini-art gallery by the talented Keenan Chapman.

Do you like grudge-y, bitter, hateful music that’s somehow simultaneously pop and fun? Then you’ll love Gabbie Rotts, a local Atlanta band comprised of three kick-ass ladies who say they’ve coined the genre ‘grudge pop.’

Above you can listen to the single, ‘You're A Depressing Person,’ from their new album called Pink Drink Season. The album has been available on cassette tapes exclusively on their merch table at their shows. Now you can listen to this fun and flirty album online on their Bandcamp and Spotify starting this Friday, August 10th. You can also celebrate the new album at the Gabbie Rotts Pink Soirée + Album Release Party on Climax St SE near Chosewood Park, on Saturday, August 11th!

The concept behind the album, Pink Drink Season, is inspired by bandleader, Gabbie Watts, coming into her own ‘girlhood’ in her mid-twenties. She says, “Growing up, I hated the color pink and all things associated with girls but in the past few years, I've been claiming glitter, gold, pink, and velvet crop tops as my own." Some songs on the album were written as far back as 2014, others were written just this past March, but she says they all come from a teenaged sense of self, "I didn't start writing songs until I was in college, so maybe I'm just now processing my teenage angst.”

The trio is spearheaded by Gabbie Watts, the lead singer, guitarist, songwriter and doer of all band things. Her harmonies are Olivia Honey on bass and Emily Backus on drums. Gabbie says she loves this album because she loves her bandmates,

“They've been so amazing and committed to the idea of yelling and being loud and obnoxiously glittered.”

Gabbie also says that it’s, “Probably through THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP (IT IS REAL AND ALIVE),” that they’ve been able to tap into a sound that is punk but also features beautiful harmonies.

The band had a short tour that lasted about two weeks. They said they were overwhelmed with generosity and they met a lot of great people and amazing bands where they did the whole, "No, YOU'RE GREAT.” “No, YOU’RE great," thing for forever.

I asked Gabbie to tell me a favorite memory of working on the album or touring and she shared a story about a pizza server: “We keep trying to tell our friends about this one young dude we met, but it's one of those "you had to be there" moments. Otherwise the story is just as boring as he was. The guy was our waiter at Mellow Mushroom in Murfreesboro and he told us a 15-minute long story about serving a large family of Christian vegans, and there was no point to it! We kept waiting and waiting, but there was no point, it was still SO boring. He hadn't even taken our drink order yet. (Which were all pink drinks, of course.) We were trying to be polite, but through our tears of boredom, the situation become absolutely hilarious. You don't get it, it's fine. YOU HAD TO BE THERE.”

You know what else you HAVE TO BE THERE for? The Pink Drink Season digital release on Bandcamp and Spotify this Friday, August 10th and the release party the following night. See you there!

Yams Club

Yams Club is a five piece female-fronted Indie Jazz rock band coming from Atlanta, Georgia. During their most recent set at The Georgia Local Spotlight Jade Thames, was able to bring an incredible presence to a sound that is difficult to condense into words.  Yams Club’s powerful and confident lyrics blend effortlessly with the 1980s-esque minimalistic instrumentals. Combining some smooth grooves, dreamy lyricism, and a fierce stage presence, Yams Club has various elements that almost any listener can enjoy and should undoubtedly check out.  

Feverest

Sitting somewhere between Dream Pop and Post Punk, Feverest brings a warm yet melancholic sound with every set they play. Opening for numerous local acts and touring bands, the trio gives audiences a welcoming and emotional sound. The band is only about a year and half old but play like they have been performing together for years. Between alternating instruments and casual banter they take the stage like pros. It’s rare to find an audience as drawn into the music as the artists playing it, but the familiar sounds and catchy beats seems to resonate with every crowd they’ve opened for. From what I’ve seen so far, I’m excited to hear what they have to offer in the future.

Jenny’s Henchmen

Washed Out's Ernest Greene, recently played a packed out show at Midtown's trendy restaurant and bar Little Trouble on April 5th. Writer and staff member Jordan Neal got the opportunity to catch up with him before the show to talk about some recent changes in his life and some of his musical influences! Check out our full discussion below.

Plasma Magazine: I see that you are signed to Stones Throw, which is one of my favorite labels. Do you get to dive into more hip-hop influenced stuff?

Ernest Greene: Yea, I mean Stones Throw has definitely been my favorite label since I started making songs. When I was 18 or 19 years old all of the greatest hits from Stones Throw’s old school artists, like Madlib and J Dilla, kind of formed how I put my songs together. Stylistically, my stuff can be a lot different, but just the mindset of how they put their songs together, I was kind of mimicking that in a lot of ways.

So yeah, I’ve been a fan of that. Obviously, the label has grown and evolved over the years and put out a lot of different indie rock and R&B stuff. For the most part, even though it’s wide-ranging, it still encapsulates a lot of what I love. In a lot of ways, I wrote the album Mister Mellow like a love letter to Stones Throw. I've always dabbled in sampling but just had the background with stuff that I grew up listening to. I wanted to make a record that’s entirely sample-based like a Madlib record was. So Mister Mellow was about 90 percent samples. I hoped, and in the end, I felt like it fit pretty well in the Stones Throw world.

PM: It’s amazing man. I can definitely tell that you layered some of those, like you said, Madlib and Dilla, samples and techniques and it works out perfectly. One question: was Peanut Butter Wolf involved in any aspects of the album?

EG: Yeah, it’s kind of a long story, but I have a manager out in L.A. and he is in amatuer basketball leagues throughout the year. The team is mainly music industry type people. So, he was on a team with the General Manager of Stones Throw and he flowed the idea that I was a big fan and I was writing this (Mister Mellow) record. So he played it for everyone at Stones Throw including Peanut Butter Wolf. Of course, they are pretty tight-knit and they all have to sign off on everything. But, then I hung out with him a handful of times and we had a big party in LA the day before the record came out. We rented out this movie theater and played the visual album and there was an after party where I DJed back to back with Peanut Butter Wolf. That was an all-time-high because I was such a huge fan but also I was nervous because he was such a dope DJ. So, I was trying my best. Luckily, I managed to somewhat save face. He was so good and he’s like completely vinyl only. But, yeah it was cool. We email some.

PM: So by the time you got on Stones Throw the album was mostly done?

EG: Yeah, I had already finished it.

PM: Who’s your favorite hip-hop producer?

EG: Right now, especially on a stone throw tip, someone like Knowledge but I’m into a few people.

PM: Knowledge is crazy!

EG: Yeah, it’s just weird in the best ways - I like his stuff a lot.

PM: What about older producers?

EG: I mean, my all time favorite is DJ Shadow. Again, on the weird tip. I just love how psychedelic it is and it’s obviously rooted in Hip Hop beats. With sampling, he was just going at stuff that no one else had thought to touch. Again, I’m super into weird sounds and instruments. That’s the one person I’d point a finger at. I mentioned Dilla, Madlib, and Premier.

PM: What is it about their process, specifically, that you like the most? You know how like Dilla will sample a bunch of stuff and just take the baseline out of the song, remove the top end and use just that. Do you ever experiment with that kind of stuff?

EG: Oh yeah, sure. I mean it’s funny, different songs and different eras of what I’ve done, it’s like stealing from different people. I’ve always admired Dilla, but I never used any of his techniques until Mister Mellow. I feel like there are some things that I took directly from influence. I have a hard time doing the same thing over and over again. So, I’m just constantly trying to listen to new things and try different and new techniques.

PM: How do you feel about the differences between your DJ sets and your live performances with your band?

EG: It’s quite different. With the band side of things it’s just a lot more complicated, we’ve got a lot more gear. The shows we’ve been doing for Mister Mellow, we have a projector with visuals. So that’s really expensive and really complicated. The cool side of that is that it’s all-encompassing and such an experience for the viewers.

The DJ side of things is obviously way simpler. I just show up with a jump drive in some cases and I really enjoy it. The other thing with live shows is, for the most part, it’s the same show every night to make the visuals and stuff work. When I show up for DJ gigs, it’s just like whatever vibe is in the room and it can go any number of ways. So that’s super fun. I mostly play other peoples music when I DJ, and I obviously love that because I’m a huge collector of music.

PM: You get to experiment with other sounds...

EG: Yeah, it’s always interesting to hear what gets people going.

PM: Which one do you prefer?

EG: Uh..

PM: Is that a hard question?

EG: Yeah, it is. If I‘m touring with the band, I just want to DJ. And if I do too much DJ stuff, I just want to do the band.

Probably the DJ thing is the most fun because you never know what you’re getting into.

PM: Is that because of the instant gratification you get from the crowd?

EG: Yeah, because they are a foot away. So it’s easy to know if people are vibing on it. A lot of times with the live show we prefer to have the projector behind the screen but sometimes, if the stage isn’t deep enough the projection will be in front of me, so it’s blinding and I can’t really see. You don’t know what’s going on and can’t tell if people are into it or not.

PM: I read that you went to school in Athens, specifically UGA. How would you compare the music scene in Athens to what we have here in Atlanta?

EG: It’s quite different. I mean, I’m a bit older now so I don’t really get out much. But I lived here about 6 or 7 years ago, and at that point, I was going out to shows a lot. There was alway this kind of grimey vibe in Atlanta verus in Athens. Especially at that time - I’m sure it’s still the same.

PM: It’s still the same!

EG: Garage rock bands, like The Black Lips, were kind of in their heyday. So, that would be the first thing. The other thing is because Athens is so tied up with the University, which can be really cool for a music scene. Generally, students have a little more freedom and there is always a new year of kids moving to Athens which can breathe new life into the scene. I think that’s really cool. Maybe Athens is a little more close-knit because of that.

PM: Do you still have your studio space in Athens?

EG: No, I moved here a year and a half ago. I still have a home set up here.

PM: After traveling all over the world, what made you want to settle in Atlanta? I know you’re from Perry, GA. Is it because of family being close or do you just enjoy the south?

EG: Yeah, it’s both. I’ve bounced around a little bit but I couldn’t imagine not living in the south. I love it here. I lived here around the time Washed Out kicked off and I lived in EAV. I really liked it but I had this super small house. It’s the only thing I could afford which was a small studio space. My house was overflowing with gear - I needed a bigger space. Having gone to school in Athens, I know it was cool and a lot cheaper.

PM: It’s still commutable. You can drive back.

EG: Exactly, but the drive back and forth to the Airport was killing me. I realized how much of a city person I was. I realized after living in Athens for a while that I really enjoyed...more options. I really enjoy Atlanta. It’s only a couple hours from where I grew up and I have a lot of family there, so it works out.

PM: Are you thinking about permanently staying here?

EG: Yeah, of course!

PM: I read in an interview with the Guardian, I think it was before the release of your album ‘Within Without’, that you longed for a nine to five lifestyle. Do you still feel that way? Has your life become more normalized?

EG: Definitely. I feel like I’ve written some of my best music when I was working nine to five, when I was in school, working, and I was only doing music on the side. It has a lot to do with I was just starting out with music. Ideas came out easier then, like the longer you do it that harder it is to come up with new ideas. It becomes a challenge when you’re doing it full time. It’s just a different sensation. It can be harder at times. I think that’s what I meant but it’s definitely become more normalized. I mostly work on Washed Out 9 to 5 and I have a two year old son. So, I’m up pretty early because he gets up pretty early. I try, for the most part, to keep pretty normal hours. I was reading this book; I think it’s called ‘Daily Habits’ or something. It’s basically profiles all these famous artists, musicians, and writers and it talks about how they plan their day and their workstyles. It was really surprising how many of them worked normal nine to five hours. A lot of my friends think I’m just sitting around smoking weed all day and maybe working on music for a couple hours, but it really is, at least for me, showing up everyday and grinding through it. That’s how I work my way into ideas.

PM: Does it feel like work?

EG: At times. Finishing songs is the only time it feels like work for me and doing non-music related stuff.

PM: The beginning process, when you have that idea, is great because you’re excited but finishing it is another thing.

EG: I’m terrible at finishing ideas. I have so many songs in my Harddrive that are almost there. I don’t have the willpower to finish them. I’ve been trying to get better with that.

PM: I know that you also enjoy photography. Are you still shooting?

EG: Yeah, sadly it’s more often with my phone.

PM: They say whatever you have is the best camera.

EG: Exactly, the best camera is the one that you have with you. I used to be more into film stuff but it’s bulky carrying it around and it’s obviously a lot more expensive. So for the most part, I do stuff with my phone. You know, traveling is really great for photography because you’re in a new place. So most often when I’m shooting stuff is when I’m on a trip.

PM: Would you ever do anything with your photography work?

EG: I’ve gotten more into, just on pure creative levels, shooting weird videos on my phone and I have a couple of apps where you can layer them on top of each other. I’ve been thinking of more ways to sync it with music because the videos are so weird. I feel like I need to come out with some really weird music to pair with it. Maybe someday I’ll pursue it a little more seriously.

PM: Do you have any local bands that you’re into?

EG: The first things that come to mind are the massive hip-hop stars from here. But for the more underground stuff, I’m sadly out of the loop on that.

PM: Do you have any advice that you’d give to local musicians?

EG: Sure. I would say just make, write, and record as much as you can. That’s the way that I did it. I was much more of a producer first. I didn’t play any shows until I had a record out. For me, it was just trial and error of making a ton of really shitty songs for years until I figured out my own vibe. I would say just work as much as you can and not get bogged down in writing the perfect song. It takes the repetition of making a bunch of songs before you can do your own thing.

There are obviously idiot savants who can stumble into it and the first song that they write sound like them. But for me, I was emulating people for years until I gradually stumbled into my own style.

PM: What’s next for washed out?

EG: I’m doing a handful of DJ stuff here and there and band stuff throughout the summer, festival stuff. I’m starting to work on new stuff. I had a new song come out as part of this adult swim thing. It’s just back to the drawing board. Like I said earlier, I like each album to be different. So I’m actively trying to figure out what the next step should be.

I’ve been doing a lot of ambient music just as a hobby or for fun, so idk if that’s the direction or something I might leak out on the side. It’s just been super fun doing improvisation. Washed Out stuff generally takes forever. First I write the song. I figure out the sounds and production and it take a while. So this ambient stuff is cool. I just start looping stuff and I enjoy that because it’s so different.

“Nothing is wrong with being somber” is one of many conclusions one can draw after seeing the faceless, yet melancholy characters illustrated by Chrissy Brimmage. Brimmage, an Atlanta artist, mainly focuses her multifaceted skills on ink drawing, painting, sculpture and digital art. Brimmage's images have a distinct geometric look, typically featuring genderless characters in states of pensiveness and loneliness that are strikingly relatable. Reoccuring elements in her illustrations include figures, seemingly existing in voids of white, speckled space, and hollows pockets leading to nowhere, sometimes in the bodies of her figures.

Brimmage can recall starting her particular and distinct style in 2014, after a study abroad trip to Thailand . "People always ask me if something specific, in Thailand, happened to inspire it. It was nothing directly about the trip in Thailand, but when I tried to make stuff in my old style I just couldn't do it. I thought that was the end of my art career." Says the artist.

Prior to her current style, Brimmage’s focus was in painting, with a more colorful and whimsical approach. Now, most of what creates is mostly in black and white, with serious and somber tones. Despite the precise geometric lines, her characters, nameless, display the gracefulness of ballet dancers. Quite simply, her work doesn’t need much color. They are expressive in their own right.

"A lot of people say that my work is sad and somber. I don't think I really agree that my work is sad, but I do think it is somber, sometimes."  -- Chrissy Brimmage

Like many artists,  her vision for her expressive work started with a dream. Brimmage explains a dream that she had, featuring a world of wireframe renderings, similar to engineer models. That following morning she attempted to recreate the imagery, and impressed herself with the result. She then began to study the engineering process, and begin rendering it in her own polygonic style.

In regards to developing her own visual style, Brimmage says this: "I feel like when I first started art, things were a mix of things I like, and other people styles. It was a hodgepodge of other people's [style]. I feel like as I started to get older...it was just natural… I feel more at home with what I do now." says the artist.

Brimmage graduated from Georgia State University, not as an art major, but as a business management student. Brimmage admits that her business degree truly helps with her art career. "Whether it's writing emails, writing grant proposals, or writing your artist statement it's so prevalent...I feel like I'm able to do more." Says Brimmage. She says that instead of solely being on the visual side of the industry, she is able utilize skills such as project management and project planning skills. "Most of the stuff I do I'm able to do on my own, so I'm very grateful," says Brimmage.

Brimmage says the top skills she's attained from her business degree is business writing, speaking, doing presentations, and profiling an audience. We waxed poetic about the importance of knowing how to communicate your plans and goals with your audience over bubble tea. "A lot of artists underestimate the importance of titling and being able to speak about your work. A lot of times, what pushes people to buy your work is the extra information you give them. The context of your piece is what's really going to connect them to it." says Brimmage.

Outside of the rigorous business elements, Brimmage admits that her process is not much of a process "It's really a mess until it's not a mess." She compares it to a mediation process. "If I do have an inkling of an idea, I really just meditate and think about it until I can bring it to a sketch".

The characters present within Brimmage's art seem to be heavily based on emotion. Somehow without faces, her characters can still be felt. Many of them are closed in and posture, even if interacting with other characters, positioned in open spaces. The droop of their bodies and their posture conveys most of what is depicted.

Her characters are brought to life by Brimmage’s fascination with movement. Fitting, considering one of the first subjects that she started drawing were dancers. She became fascinated with the way that their movements can be conveyed into metaphors and messages such as freedom.

The floatiness and closed off nature of the images is often based on how Brimmage herself feels. "It's really important for me to be honest and transparent in my work," says Brimmage "that's something I'm always trying to do and trying to foster...A lot of people say that my work is sad and somber. I don't think I really agree that my work is sad, but I do think it is somber sometimes." she says. 

Brimmage takes pride in the honesty of her pieces. She aims for being transparent and honest and her pieces in a way that others can identify with. "Not even for the sake of saying that I have honest art, but for healing purposes." She says how the reactions even if it is crying to her artwork is helpful to her and showing that she is doing the right thing and causing a connection--a vital aspect of art.

     It was a few minutes past the hour, or maybe a quarter to noon. I was sitting, backed pressed against the hard airport seats, with my borrowed iPad in my lap, and my near-dead cellphone in my right hand. I finally was able to get-or should I say buy- a wifi connection to let my friend and former birthday girl know that I was “SOL,” with no possible way of escape. Tired, hungry, and vastly low on physical currency to exchange (literally 8 US dollars in my bag), I attempted to then wrestle with the reality of the situation: I’m trapped in a Chinese airport. “Dear God, what fate will I uncover,” I thought to myself as my stomach growled painfully. I should have eaten that microwave dinner from the Family Mart up the street before I left, or at the very least finished those strangely tasty shrimp and salsa flavored Lays chips (yes, those actually are a thing) I was munching on in the hostel.

"Sanctuaries and Fortresses" is an evening-length disco ballet. The performance will be highlighting the impact of the disco-era as a time when the disco lifestyle and funky bass lines served as a sanctuary for otherwise marginalized people.

Acknowledging disco culture's role in providing a safe place and refuge for ostracized people, "Sanctuaries and Fortresses" looks into the politics of sensuality, femininity, in its various forms, and the process of storytelling from the perspective of a diverse cast of women.

Titled from a phrase from the Audre Lorde essay, “Poetry is not a Luxury”, "Sanctuaries and Fortresses" is a culmination of a year-long interest, using the communal practice of gathering for collective listening in modern culture.

The performance is presented by "Sunday Morning at 7" (also a coined phrase from the Audre Lorde essay), a year-long project that includes educational tools to inspire young people to pursue careers in the theatrical arts.  The project performances are live-streamed and later partnered with the striking images of a narrative dance film titled "Birth of Pleasure" by Lev Omelchenko, which will translate the live performance to the screen. 

"Sanctuary and Fortresses" is made up of hardworking curation and mostly Atlanta-based talent. Directed by Anicka Austin, the performance will be featuring live music by Sister Sai and Chris Gravely, dance performances of this installation by Ruchi Ahuja, Sharon Carelock, Indya Childs, Jennifer Cara Clark, Bella Dorado, Christina Kelly, Miriam Golomb, Rebekah Pleasant and Hez Stalcup, lighting Installation by Jane Foley, and make-up by PhaeMonae.

"We aspire to bring dance to wider audiences by using the technology available (live-streaming and film) to make digital versions of our disco ballet sanctuaries and fortresses as vibrant as possible. We believe in the transformative power of collectively experiencing art and are determined to create accessible dance experiences that connect people to their inner voices and to each other." Says Austin. 

icanthearwhattheyresayingbutithinkigetit by mani

At this juncture in music history, another three-piece experimental rock band feels like just a drop in the bucket; how varied can the music generated from a three-person line up really get? Are there any innovations left to be discovered in our main rock ingredients: percussion, bass, guitar, and vocals? I understand your skepticism. But, as it turns out, we haven’t yet seen it all; Mani is one of those bands who are here to remind us that recombining the tried and true with some new seasoning can yield a tasty dish.

This Macon/Atlanta based group has been around for a couple years now. Their newest album, released this past August, IcanthearwhattheyresayingbutIthinkIgetit, is rife with the kind of chemistry that only comes from confident musical relationships. Along an eight-song meander, we follow Zach Farr, Steven Ledbetter, and Matt Boone (later replaced by Clark Bush playing live) as they construct a cohesive soundscape by combining and intertwining singular parts.

It’s worth noting that Zach Farr, the visionary behind much of this project, drew upon inspiration from a dream to find the album’s voice. It is also worth noting that the exact release date was the 21st of August, coinciding with the continental United State’s last eclipse. Little wonder that a kind of sonorific dream logic plays such a prominent role in the recounting of each song. As with dreams, the music is challenging without becoming needlessly esoteric, defying the listener to make sense of the nonsensical while remaining accessible, and even eerily familiar. We hear this best in the band’s celebration of some of the more obscure genres of music: chewy polyrhythms a la gamelan, mechanical drones for noise and texture, and sound experimentation that would make Frank Zappa proud.

The music itself veers from minimalist to psychedelic stream-of-consciousness-improvisation-like interludes. Dissonance textures are sprinkled over more conventional melodic lines. There is often a hint of the industrial, weighing heavier on the noise side, behind that fresh, folk-face. We hear sound elements spanning the gamut, from singing bowls to the whirring of something mechanical to rocks. What is interesting, however, isn’t this band’s use of ‘unusual sounds’ so much as their ability to make them not sound unusual. Every effect helps build the story of this dreamscape. Every ‘thunk’, ‘fmmp’, and ‘bwong’ is a layer in the stratigraphy of this musical reality.

All in all, IcanthearwhattheyresayingbutIthinkIgetit is not easy listening. It is active and wants audience participation without obnoxiously demanding it. It is defiant of old structure while remaining respectful to tradition. If this is a taste of things to come for Mani, we can expect some interesting flavors.

With LONER and Mani

Ancient Sumerian mythology meets contemporary dance and electronic music in an immersive experience for both audience and performers. Erec-Ki-Gala, a performance art experience, premieres at The Bakery on Friday, April 27th. One can expect a breathtaking display of choreography from, Christen Sewell Weimer, a seasoned performer and professor of dance at Spelman College and Brenau University.

“Dance is a physical manifestation of the union of the mind and heart. Achieving this union through movement is a lifelong process to which I am passionately committed,” Weimer has stated. “Choreography is the means by which I investigate the stories within my own body as well as the stories within the bodies of others.”

However, the ones with the creative seed are in fact longtime friends and Atlanta natives Aeron Attwooll and Peter Flamming. With myth in mind, Attwooll and Flamming decided to create a piece around the Sumerian tale of Inana’s Descent into the Underworld.

Inana, a prosperous Babylonian queen, celebrating the sun’s gifts with her carefree servants, discovers emptiness beneath the light. Her dreams become haunted by a distorted shadow world, so she seeks out and embraces the darkness. Sacrificing everything, she enters the underworld and meets Ereshkigal.

“It’s about releasing one’s attachment to possessions and identity, dissolving contradictions, to claim a greater wholeness by uniting with your shadow,” says Attwooll.

“Writing scores for dance performances or large-scale live performances is a passion of mine,” Flamming said. “We’re excited to put together something of the ancient and arcane with something innovative and contemporary.”

Additionally that night, the Bakery will be hosting an art show featuring 5-6 Atlanta-based artists, and performances by bands Mani and LONER. Mani is a dynamic 3-piece experimental/indie psychedelic band. LONER is a non-binary post-rock ensemble based out of Atlanta. More information can be found on the Facebook event.

7pm - Art Show

9pm - Erec-Ki-Gala Performance

10:30pm - Mani

11:30pm - LONER