Health’s live show is known for pushing the boundaries of electronic noise.
DEATH MAGIC TOUR 2015 with HEALTH, Pictureplane, Ian Hicks (of Soft Metals), Wednesday, December 9, at Holocene, 8:30pm, $12.00 advance $14.00 day of show, tickets.
Between their 2010 remix album “Disco2” — featuring the original track “USA Boys” — and this past August, we didn’t hear any studio material from Health that wasn’t a soundtrack for a video game. On the new album “Death Magic”, Health does a rare thing in music by creating a follow-up that was worth waiting for. In the five plus years since their last studio album, the band has developed not only as composers but also as performers with a highly unforgettable stage presence in the world of electro-experimental music.
If this is the first time you’ve heard of the band, Health’s live show is known for pushing the boundaries of electronic noise, so much so that the band’s equipment might be to blame for temporarily blowing the power during a Mississippi Studios gig in June, 2010. However, that was back when the quartet was playing DIY venues, and the band’s sound hadn’t yet found the polished monolith style of clarity found on “Death Magic.” Traveling and playing in underground experimental scenes did wonders for Health, as it introduced them to peers and allies who freely picked apart every nuance and glimmer in the band’s tracks for two successful remix albums.
Judging by the live video for the single “Stonefist”, with its battering-ram-like fits of grating bass, Holocene will be a most fitting place for Health’s brilliant lighting cues. “Stonefist” is noticeably more influenced by brainy sound design than the abstract experimentation on their past albums, and will translate nicely to a lush sounding performance. Because of their darker pallets of sound, Health can warrant comparisons to Liars or TRST. But what sets them apart is an obsession with bending ordinarily abrasive sounds into a cohesive groove of danceable electronics.
When not delivering the trademark haunted robot sound of Health’s vocals, frontman Jacob Duzsik can be seen nonchalantly pointing his mic towards the stage monitors, hoping for some controlled distortion to add to the set. It’s just another way in which the band is always open to the influence of fragmented, dirty sounds, and capturing the rawness of them for the live show.
Also, on hand at Holocene will be Pictureplane (Travis Egedy), who has remixed the Health tracks “Lost Time” and “Die Slow.” Egedy is a central figure to the obscure genre of dark wave, where his music touches on themes of unrequited love and Goth romance. If you have enjoyed bands like Salem, or the more popular Purity Ring, it was Egedy who is credited with coining their genre “witch house”. This will be a night not to miss at Holocene, as it’s rare that two heavy-hitters in similar scenes will come together under one roof, get your tickets now.
JENNIFER CARRIZO: What does a talent buyer do? Coffeeshop Conversations @ Artichoke Music #416
By TOM D'ANTONI // Ever wonder just what a music talent buyer does? Meet the person responsible for booking the Crystal Ballroom and the Mission Theater. Find out about the changes in the Mission. Meet Jennifer Carrizo.
Xylyn Hathaway's new album "Air & Darkness" release: April 20, 2024 : Preview/review
By MICHAEL "SHOEHORN" CONLEY // Hathaway will celebrate the release of this recording on Saturday, April 20th at 8:00 p.m. at Blue Butler studios in Portland, where the recording was made. The album is available on CD, which this writer feels is still a very viable way to present and distribute a collection of tunes such as this.
Anandi: On her latest album, "A Better Way" Coffeeshop Conversations @ Artichoke Music #415
By TOM D'ANTONI // Singer-Songwriter Anandi has A Better Way, an inspiring album as her latest release. Find out what inspired her to be so inspiring. Listen to a track from it at the end of our conversation.
She'll be singing her songs with her group Maiden Oregon at The Hoxton as part of the PDX Jazz Series on Thursday, May 2nd.
Lisa Mann's own tale of her Metal career. She's now a real life "Rockstar"
By LISA MANN // Why would a world-famous Blues bassist and singer add Metal to her resume? Read her full story. See her with Splintered Throne at the Hawthorne Theater on Thursday April 11.
Joanie Fox: Directing a documentary on the life and death of Derek Rieth / Coffeeshop Conversations @ Artichoke Music #414
By TOM D'ANTONI // Joanie Fox is the director of Beatlore the upcoming documentary on the life and death of Derek Rieth. There is a fund-raiser at Pink Martini World Headquarters on Thursday, April 4
By TOM D'ANTONI // Ever wonder just what a music talent buyer does? Meet the person responsible for booking the Crystal Ballroom and the Mission Theater. Find out about the changes in the Mission. Meet Jennifer Carrizo.