#moogfest2016

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.