Between the Buchla and silence, Briana Marela crafts an operatic, ambient constellation
Ethereal atmospheric bliss from Glowing Dagger comp; plus more by Cuntstomer Servixxx, Con Brio, Grooblen, Kasey Trapp, Moto Tembo, New Nostalgia, and A.M.K.
Did you get your tickets to Salami Rose Joe Louis, Mejiwahn, and James Wavey at Public Works? One of my dearest friends recently expressed surprise that this show isn’t going to be a house and techno rager, given the venue. Well, sorry to disappoint, but it’s really going to be a psychedelic journey through end of summertime sensations, the ideal thing for slowly swaying body, closed eyes, and wide open ears.
Unfamiliar with the artists? Check out our new interview with Salami Rose Joe Louis, one of the undisputed icons of the Bay Area underground.
Peace,
ronny
STARLIGHT, AND THE SPACE BETWEEN
These are compositions to listen to again and again, to marvel at for their beauty and their sophisticated design, perhaps to attempt to deconstruct the album’s technical complexity, to melt at the range of vocal performance by Briana Marela.
You Are a Wave pulls on heartstrings, gently rocking one deeper into the fragile crevices of the artist’s loneliness, grief, and even joy. Marela takes her time building on these textures to craft the rawness of her experience in reinterpreted sonic space. By paying particular attention to the silence between the notes, and sedated rhythmic Buchla oscillations, she casts whimsical yet meaningful constellations of sound—like the unimaginably distant connections between stars within an ever-expanding universe. The tracks “Turquoise and Amethyst” and “Arc” display this expansive space-play best, while others showcase a near-operatic mix of contemporary classical interludes, vocal sound experiments, and gut-wrenching poetry. Gripping, intimate, a must-listen.
Briana Marela will be opening for Kikagaku Moyo at the Warfield on Sun Sep 25. She will also join White Crate for a live performance on Lower Grand Radio on Thu Oct 6.
— Elise Mills
ETHEREAL ATMOSPHERIC BLISS
“The nine tracks, centered around themes of rebirth and renewal, are a sonic assemblage of swirling spectral synths, fragmented metalloid rhythms, silky vocal dirges, and cosmic effervescence.”
Glowing Dagger’s first compilation Beside the Blade ripples through a genre-vast collection of ethereal atmospheric bliss. The collection is forged by a mythical sensibility and cloaked in gritty vestigial mystery—each contributing artist manages to dissolve the worlds of myth and fantasy with gossamer sirens and deliciously haunting instrumentals. Some works probe interior, spiritual depths, while others prefer to float above (or below?) the world of the living. Snag yourself a physical copy of the cassette and be delighted by its inclusion of Glowing Dagger-branded matches, pink candle, and herbal sprig.
— Elise Mills
ALIEN PUNK FLOW
“I want to use these days as reminders of not only the losses but to reflect how far I’ve came…& how far I still have to grow/GLOW.” A.M.K. (aka Alien Mac Kitty) first landed on our radar when we learned last year that, as daughter of late SF rapper Ronald Fields (aka Cougnut of Ill Mannered Posse), she had got a hold of the rights to her dad’s music. That was amazing news, but on top of that she’s been building up her own rap career. Released in the same month as her mother’s birthday and the anniversary of her father’s death, Out Her Space is her latest 20-min EP, the first of a two-part project riffing on aliens, punk, and the importance of personal space.
MORE SELECTIONS
“Jenny” by Cuntstomer Servixxx
indie, pop, rock, Oakland
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Seasons by Con Brio
neo soul, R&B, funk, San Francisco
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“Escher Girl” by Grooblen
alternative, indie, rock, San Francisco
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“From You” by Kasey Trapp
electronic, alternative, experimental, San Francisco
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“Go Deep” by Janet Jackson and “No Filter” by Sakiko, two new edits by Moto Tembo
deep house, electronic, nu disco, Oakland
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NN WORLDWIDE by NEW NOSTALGIA. Missed this one from July, featuring three fresh and ravey club tracks. You can find Aakash of New Nostalgia playing tomorrow night at Club Waziema alongside Ritchrd, Trevern, and Smokedro.
electronic, house, breaks, San Francisco
LIVE
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[electronic] San Francisco Electronic Music Festival ft. Amma Ateria, Luciano Chessa, Anne Hege, Michelle Moeller, Only Now, Rova Electric 6, shipwreck detective, Carl Stone, gabby wen + jorge bachmann — Sep 16-18 at the Lab
[club] Public Works 12-Year Anniversary ft. Amon Tobin Presents: Two Fingers (DJ Set), Jeff Mills, Acid Pauli — Sep 16-18 at Public Works
[hip hop] Raaginder, Khanvict — Sep 16 at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
[indie] The Breathing Room, Rainbow City Park, For Your Pleasure — Sep 16 at the Golden Bull
[indie] Catch Prichard, James Wavey, August Lee Stevens — Sep 16 at the Starline Social Club Crystal Cavern
[indie] Due South ft. Thao, Ruby Ibarra — Sep 17 at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater
[hip hop] James Wavey, June Swoon, Gumby’s Junk — Sep 17 at the Golden Bull
[soul] Monophonics, GA-20, Kendra Morris — Sep 17 at the Independent
[club] Ritchrd, Aakash, Trevern, Smokedro — Sep 17 at Club Waziema
[club] Club Pansy ft. Experimental Housewife, David Le Brun, aunteesam b2b Sof, Jennifer Vanilla — Sep 17 at Underground SF
[experimental] Jennifer Vanilla, Teton, Cuntstomer Servixxx — Sep 18 at Martial Arts
[punk] The Vaxxines, Toxic Energy, Erik Core — Sep 18 at Bottom of the Hill
[experimental] Fievel is Glauque, Chime School, Mayya — Sep 20 at Bottom of the Hill
[rock] Kal Marks, Strangelight, Rip Room, Wicked Pricks — Sep 21 at the Golden Bull
IT’S HAPPENING
