Why do we go to the trouble of making art? Because! New live performance and interview with dark indie pop artist ONIKHO
Why do we go to the trouble of making art? Because! New live performance and interview with dark indie pop artist ONIKHO
Plus new music from San Huan, Tomu DJ + an all-star No Bias lineup of remixers, Michael Claus of Silva Electronics, and XXU & UXX
Thanks to everyone who tuned into Lower Grand Radio last night to hear ONIKHO perform live in the studio! We were treated to a lovely mini performance (which is a sneak preview of her show at Thee Stork Club on Thursday) and interview about her artistry and work as an Oakland-based musician.
Missed the live stream? Listen to a recording of the full performance and interview.
— White Crate
FUTURE ANCIENT BEATS
“the sounds you are hearing
were synthesized from samples of jade, bone, dust, and bronze
being struck, crushed, and hitting the groundjade, bone, dust, and bronze are materials
uncovered in 5000 year-old shang dynasty sacrificial pits
remnants of ancient efforts to seek divine understanding”
Material tones, bubbling slices of synth, little strings of melody, future ancient beats. Recorded live at SF bookstore, studio, and art gallery P A L L A S as part of the “red dust rises as four walls; I pierce through the haze” showing that took place last month, Red Dust… is a new 20-minute mix by San Huan. Entrancing, intentionally created to transport listeners through time, the nearly all-instrumental mix morphs and evolves, culminating in a techno-like fever dream studded with chopped up voices and chimes.
San Huan isn’t all experimental electronic soundscapes: For something more sweet and radio-friendly, check out their dream pop single “Doorbarker” released back in April.
— Ronny Kerr
UNDERGROUND CRASH COURSE
If you wanted to hear some of the most creative and talented DJs and producers in the Bay right now, you couldn’t do much better than digging into the discography of independent label No Bias. And if you wanted a true crash course without having to explore all 30ish of their releases on Bandcamp, their latest—Bedroom DJ Remixes by Tomu DJ—is the perfect thing.
On this release alone, back to back to back to back, you get treated to remixes from some of No Bias’ finest: pounding 140 BPM techno by label founder Ritchrd, lightly Latin-sprinkled inflections by DJ Juanny, meticulous driving jungle by Soeneido, squishy phat IDM by Farsight, and bass massive underground rave twitterings from Tom Marsi. Which one’s your favorite?
Catch the No Bias all-day takeover of Cone Shape Top with live DJ sets by Ritchrd, Bored Lord, and Soeneido tomorrow from 1-6 PM.
— Ronny Kerr
NATURALLY EERIE TECHNO
The post-humanist love affair between the grittiest of machine music and the organicism and interconnectedness of nature is an old one. Techno enthusiasts can just as easily revel in the quieter, mysterious allure of the natural world. Michael Claus of Silva Electronics returns with two eerie techno tracks to delight and frighten us, padded by an intriguing psychedelic remix of “Dark Forest” from Lara Sarkissian and a thrilling, bass-heavy remix of “Paranoia” courtesy of Force Placement.
Find yourself venturing into the dark forest of someone else’s Eden. Feel the goosebumps appear one by one as the ominous dong of an approaching monster approaches. Lurking beneath necromancer fungi, it finds its way creeping closer and closer to an otherwise beautiful and safe clearing. The relentless pounding bass sets the blood pumping from start to finish. Amid the intensity, the Lara Sarkissian’s remix offers a reassuring anchor in the form of a psychedelic-rock comedown reminiscent of Talk Talk’s heyday. Soon after, “Paranoia” and its other half, reinterpreted by Force Placement, thrill us with two synthetic jams to make the inner primal roar— an overwhelm of the senses makes it hard to discern whether you will emerge frightened, overstimulated and delighted, or all three. It’s like a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale twisted even further under Bladerunner conditions.
— Elise Mills
MIDSUMMER GOTH O’CLOCK
Who is XXU & UXX? A new SF duo who knows that it can always be the season of the witch here, even in the long light of midsummer. Their very first release hit Bandcamp this week: WITH/OUT presents their debut single “Without,” the first single from their upcoming self-titled debut album, plus seven remixes of the track. “Sorry I’m always on your mind, it’s your time to go without,” the singer declares on the darkwave original, and it only gets heavier and glitchier from there. The remixes run the gamut from to goth dub to goth ambient to goth house to… you get the idea. Check out the remix from fellow SF producer Richard Haig for a twisted, sinister two-step version.
— Ronny Kerr
SHOW RECS
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[club] Bored Lord, Finishher, Guerilla — August 4 at Thee Stork Club
[club] Wata Igarashi, Christina Chatfield (live), Øbsidian — August 4 at F8
[rock] STS9 — August 4-5 at the Quarry Amphitheater
[club] Ritchrd, Bored Lored, Soeneido — August 5 at Cone Shape Top
[rock] Brontez Purnell and Tami Hart, Wifey — August 5 at Thee Stork Club
[rock] Kids on a Crime Spree, Artsick, George Children — August 5 at Golden Bull
[rock] Silk Road Truckers (album release), Alvie & the Breakfast Pigs, Cardboard People — August 5 at Bottom of the Hill
[rock] Chokecherry, Loco Tranquilo, Buzzed Lightbeer — August 5 at the Chapel
[club] Adra, Femmelectric, Max Gardner, Ritchrd — August 5 at Underground SF
[blues] Buddy Guy, Eric Gales — August 6 at Stern Grove
[experimental] Wolf Eyes, Bill Orcutt, Infinite River — August 6 at Thee Stork Club
[metal] High Tone Son of a Bitch, Tigers on Opium — August 10 at Golden Bull
[indie] ONIKHO (album release), Angela Hsieh — August 10 at Thee Stork Club
[rock] No Vacation, Sour Widows, Cuffin All Thangs — August 10 at California Academy of Sciences
[punk] Toner, Hotline TNT, They Are Gutting a Body of Water, Enumclaw, Sword II — August 10 at Great American Music Hall
SUPPORT BAY AREA MUSIC! Get access to our full Bay Area concert calendar, featuring specially curated recommendations for upcoming shows in SF and Oakland.
