For this year's final OPTICAL showcase we present three recording artists for the esteemed Chicago label Kranky, perhaps North America's most influential experimental imprint. Started in 1993 by Bruce Adams and Joel Leoschke, the artists it houses are noted for combining experimental and often electronic influences with elements of more traditional rock structures, and many of the artists on Kranky are inspired by or revolve around ambient, psychedelic, and experimental music.
Space-rock luminaries Windy & Carl hail from Dearborn, MI. Comprised of husband-and-wife duo of guitarist Carl Hultgren and bassist/singer Windy Weber, their droney, blurry sound emanates primarily from guitars, particularly via usage of delay effects, reverb effects, and E-Bow, rather than synthesizers. Together they create music with a wide range of atmospheres, from a warm fuzzy blanket, to a deep ocean, and to the open spaces of a frozen antarctic. Since 1992, they've been releasing consistently for a multitude of labels, while running their own record shop, Stormy Records. Highlights of their recorded output includes the albums Depths, Consciousness,and more recently We Will Always Be, all released on Kranky since 1998.
Christina Vantzou is an artist, musician, and composer. She attended the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore (1997-2001) and moved to Brussels, Belgium in 2003 where she currently resides. In recent years sound has become a key aspect of her artistic identity, as a member of The Dead Texan (Kranky) and in 2007 she as a touring member of Sparklehorse. She started to compose her solo works in 2007 using synthesizers, samples, her own voice, and a homemade library of orchestral samples.Over a period of three years, Vantzou meticulously pieced together a 45-minute music composition. Working with Minna Choi (director of Magik*Magik orchestra), who translated the digital score to sheet music for a seven-piece ensemble, these recordings culminated in a debut solo album titled Nº1. The results a sprawling ambient neo-classical score transformed into a full-fledged symphonic suite, which she will be presenting at Decibel Festival this year.
The serene ambient compositions of Loscil come courtesy of Vancouver-based musician Scott Morgan. Taking his moniker from the “looping oscillator” function in the computer music language Csound, Morgan uses custom made Max/MSP sequencers and the occasional live instrument to build robust, droning soundscapes. Morgan cites influences including krautrock pioneers Cluster, minimalist composer Gavin Bryars, and a wealth of film music composers. Loscil’s self-released album, A New Demonstration of Thermodynamic Tendencies, caught the ear of Kranky, who in turn signed Morgan’s project and released Triple Point in October of 2001. Morgan’s second official Loscil album, Submers, followed in 2002, and his third, Plume, arrived in 2006. The highly-praised Endless Falls followed in 2010, a continuous exploration of his signature soundscapes.
PLEASE NOTE: This event ends around 9PM, offering festival attendees the opportunity to enjoy other festival showcases that will be going until 2AM.
For fans of Stars of the Lid, Brian Eno and My Bloody Valentine.
