April 2, 2007
A Glimpse into the Portland Electronic Scene
For those that don’t know, Seattle’s electronic music scene is quite strong and continuously growing. The Stranger’s ex-electronic afficionado Dave Segal penned Seattle as the North American equivalent to Berlin, well-known to the world as the mecca of electronic music. And that’s not too far of a reach. Seattle’s own Decibel Festival is still in its youth after only three years in existence yet last year’s festivities were stronger than ever, with internationally-renowned acts playing to sold-out venues all over Capitol Hill. In attendence at most of these shows you can spot a multitude of local producers and DJs that are helping to keep the scene vibrant, amiable, cooperative, and downright fun.
But recently our lovely neighbors to the south — Portland — have been making their own mark in the music world, providing a home to major rock acts (The Decemberists, Stephen Malkmus, Viva Voce, The Blow) as well as independent acts bound to keep growing and expanding in popularity and name recognition (The Thermals, Menomena, The Joggers). But what’s their electronic scene like? Well, it’s been fairly impressive as of late. Let’s get acquainted…
First off, I have to shower this space with my textual and sonic love for instrumental duo Talkdemonic. Kevin O’Connor and Lisa Molinaro are the players behind the group, with O’Connor working his magic on both live drums and programmed-to-perfection beats, and Molinaro dazzling ears and eyes with her violin work. While it’s a fairly simple combination of elements, it’s an incredibly mature sound. Their 2006 release Beat Romantic is still easily one of my favorite releases of last year, in addition to one of the finer instrumental albums of the past few years. Download tracks from here.
Over the past week, three intriguing albums from up-and-coming Portland artists graced my presence. Here’s the skinny:
Small Sails - Similar Anniversaries (Other Electricities)
Small Sails are a music and film-making collective comprised of four guys that obviously love to share the beauty of music. Previous text describes their debut record as “stop-motion-stuttering aural hopscotch” and some “gorgeous post-electronic tribal thing,” which is pretty spot-on. The four effortlessly craft warm and precise compositions based heavily in ambient pop and warmfuzzy postrock. It’s an optimistic and refreshing sound that’s only downside might be that it’s too light and inoffensive. If you enjoy your electronic to be welcoming and refreshing, similar to artists on Morr Music, or artists like The Album Leaf and Lymbyc System, then Small Sails should be a perfect compliment to your collection.
Official website: Small Sails
Myspace: Small Sails
Copy - Hair Guitar (Audio Dregs)
Marius Libman, aka Copy, is building a name for himself in the PDX scene as both a party DJ — known for killing dancefloors with his twisted juxtapositions of middle school R&B and top 40 hip-hop with amped-up electro rhythms — and as a solo producer. The Williamette Week named him Portland’s Best New Band in 2006, and rightfully so, since his own creations are a party unto themselves. His sophomore album Hair Guitar is an 8-bit dance party designed for massive arenas and perfectly suited for headphones on-the-go. Think your favorite old-school NES soundtracks on a lot of speed and testosterone. The sound resides somewhere between Ratatat, Daft Punk, MSTRKRFT, and Diplo, resulting in an unpretentiously nerdy affair that simply wants to party from start-to-finish. Did I mention party?
Official website: Copy
Myspace: Copy
Myspace: DJ Copy
Panther - Secret Lawns (Fryk Beat Records)
Panther is an interesting beast. The cathartic solo project of Portland’s Charlie Salas-Humara, Secret Lawns is his debut album and, simply put, he’s a one-man spastic pop machine. While the destructive electro-clash beats vary in their funkiness, certain tracks showcase the heights of Panther’s unique falsetto voice, one that could easily be mistaken for Prince to newcomers. Out-there goodness with plenty of potential.
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