Show Review: Slow Magic w/ Kodak to Graph & Daktyl

Slow Magic at Kings on Sept. 21

Electronic shows can really be a crapshoot sometimes, especially if you haven't checked in on the artist and researched what their live set-up is. It's really easy to end up seeing a handful of dudes in backwards fitted caps slamming pads and spinning knobs on an MPD for about twenty minutes, and frankly after three sets of that you're kind of done for the evening. But what took place at Kings was far from that, it was one of the most engaging and exciting performances I've seen in quite some time. While Daktyl and Kodak to Graph had markedly similar styles, and Daktyl may have fallen a little bit into the first category, there was enough versatility throughout the night's performances to keep things exciting until the main event of the evening came around.

Daktyl started things off with a set filled with crunching bass lines, jittering synths and dreamy yet disjointed vocal samples turned into syncopated rhythms. It was a set built on quick build-ups and even swifter breakdowns, there was bukus of noise sweeps and bass drops, but it felt natural rather than formulaic and expected. With releases set in the near future for Mad Decent and some obvious talent under his belt, I'm excited to hear more from Daktyl as he evolves as an artist. There's some exciting possibilities that lie beneath these danceable tracks, hopefully he's willing to dig deeper into the rabbit hole to really define his style amidst a sea of Mad Decent-hopefuls.

Kodak to Graph at Kings on Sept. 21

The evening got gradually more exciting as the subsequent artists took the stage. As Kodak to Graph's stage began to get set-up I pretty much knew I was going to dig this set. His table was packed in with a laptop, multi-colored beat pads and an analog synth that was all facing towards the crowd for some reason. I'm not quite sure as to whether this was done for aesthetic reasons or for ease of playability, but regardless it got my attention. Kodak to Graph was emanating some heavy house vibes while still making sure he didn't fall with into the new "deep-house" trends. Most of the set bounced between bass-laden tracks that were driven by either ambient vocals that were chopped into rhythmic patterns or hip-hop vocal samples utilized as percussive flair and bridges into heavy bass grooves.


Kodak to Graph had an entertaining set, but nothing was going to top the energy that Slow Magic brought to the stage. I'm very glad I didn't come into this show with expectations for what was about to happen, frankly I thought I'd be taking it easy for this show, maybe sitting in the corner and soaking it all in. I was doing a pretty good job of following that plan until I saw the Slow Magic set-up and then I immediately posted up in front of the stage. Driven by two large toms and a mixture of loops and live mixing, Slow Magic put on one of the most engaging and awe-inspiring electronic sets I've seen in quite some time. Many times acts like these are marked by their impressive lights show or their gimmicky set-ups, but Slow Magic seems to do it for all of the right reasons. Shortly into the set he raised a drum high above his head, hopped into the crowd, and lead the crowd in a tightly packed burst of dance to his tribal beats and poppy production. Shortly after that he was high-fiving members of the crowd, letting the front row contribute to his percussion pads and even had members of the crowd toying with the remote that controlled his light show. It was less of a passive viewing experience and more of an immersive event that everyone felt a part of, which is a massive feat for an artist like this. The tracks were all incredible, the live drumming was nothing short of compelling, and ultimately proved to be a phenomenal way to end what could have been a very blasé show. Kudos to this remarkable showman for putting on the show he does, he's won this writer over as a massive fan.

Artist Feature: Marley Carroll

Marley Carroll will be performing at Drumstrong
Rhythm & Arts Festival outside of Charlotte, N.C. on
Friday, May 16

In recent years, North Carolina has begun to develop quite the burgeoning electronic music scene. While "indie" leaning acts have long been living in the spotlight thanks to the dedicated communities in cities like Chapel Hill and Raleigh, more and more electronic acts have been popping up in the area. North Carolina's draw for artists continues to grow exponentially as the years go by and we see more and more acts coming into the area for our rich musical culture, adding depth and diversity to the talent that's been growing within the state.

Sylvan Esso was formed after Amelia Meath made the cross-country trek to Durham and now have carved out an electro-pop niche all their own. On the other hand folks like Porter Robinson, a Chapel Hill native, have propelled to stardom in the EDM scene, totally bypassing a local focus in favor of international stardom. Then you have acts like Marley Carroll, one that sits comfortably in between the two. Carroll is an Asheville transplant, trekking across country from Los Angeles to make the bustling mountain town his new home. Since he settled into western North Carolina though, the IDM leaning producer has been churning out heady beats that swell and sway, compelling listeners with tight grooves and lingering for days thanks to some infectious melodies.

Late last year Carroll put out his most recent full-length Sings, a record that's received lofty amounts of praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Stereogum and XLR8R. Sings lands somewhere comfortably between beat-driven IDM and downtempo electronic pop, but Carroll's live sets transcend both genres, transforming into brilliantly orchestrated dance tunes that are fleshed out before your eyes. "I'm always trying to find a balance between spontaneity and familiarity," Carroll says, "I can be as comfortable as possible onstage while still leaving some room to take chances and improvise." This mindset allows for some truly invigorating performances from this immensely talented artist, Carroll bounces between a turntable, MIDI controllers, a Moog synthesizer all while singing on his own tracks. Despite how much he's got going on on-stage, the shows are incredibly fluid, feeling like a well fleshed out set that's just as likely to turn directions at the drop of a dime.

"If I had it my way, I would bring a whole 18-piece orchestra on stage with me," Carroll states, but when you've got the chops that this guy does you frankly don't need it. Carroll has been making music for the past 15 years in various different forms. Carroll started out playing drums in rock bands and DJing in hip-hop clubs, something that explains the turntable proficiency. In university he took to classical percussion and shortly thereafter began to produce his own music. 2007 saw the release of his debut Melanaster and since then his style has continued to develop, seamlessly implementing all of his past musical outings and funneling it through the IDM lens to create a unique style that appeals to a wide array of listeners. Perhaps this is why journalists have taken to calling him a "producer's producer," a moniker that Carroll wears proudly.

"I think it's a way to distinguish me from the wave of big-room EDM DJs, and align me more closely with left-field bedroom producers like Caribou and Four Tet." These "bedroom producers" always tend to have densely packed music, their tunes are so intricately crafted that fellow producers or DJs can unravel them bit by bit, trying to find exactly what's going on within the track. Perhaps that's why there's an eclectic mix of folks at Carroll's shows that are vigorously dancing their asses off while others brood in the corners, bobbing their heads as they attempt to pick at Carroll's brain and single out every aspect of these tightly knit productions.

Whether you label Caroll as a "producer's producer" or a "DJs DJ," the important factor is that you don't attempt to pigeonhole him. His work is as versatile as it comes, he's as capable of churning out downtempo tracks that fall into a sweet groove as he is flipping a low-key Polish Ambassador track like "Oh Love" and turning it into an upbeat two-step banger that gets crowds bouncing along to the shuffling beats. Fans of electronic music and indie pop alike can find something within Carroll's tunes to fall in love with, at that's what makes him such a gem for this state's music scene.

Marley Caroll will be performing this weekend at Drumstrong in Charlotte, closing out Friday evening with a late-night set. Carroll will also be performing at this year's Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh.

Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, Chic and More Set for Moogfest 2014

Moogfest 2014 will take place from April 23-27 of 2014
throughout 10 venues

Up until 2013, Moogfest had become a bit of a staple for downtown Asheville. For three years the electronic based festival brought a wide variety of acts to the town under the Moog banner, but when it was announced that AC Entertainment's contract with the festival wasn't renewed the festival's future was in doubt. Shortly after details of AC Entertainment's new festival, Mountain Oasis, came about, the Moog family reassured folks that Moogfest wasn't going anywhere. After a bit of restructuring, it was announced that Moogfest would be returning to Asheville for the week of April 23-27. The now five-day event has blossomed to massive proportions that include some of the most influential names in electronic music history. This morning Moogfest announced the initial lineup for their 2014 festival, including some of the pioneers of dance music like Kraftwerk (performing 3 separate 3-D sets throughout the fest), Giorgio Moroder and Nile Rodgers' Chic.

While this eclectic array of dance icons head up the lineup, some of the most exciting parts of this lineup are buried within the details. Not only will Avey Tare (of Animal Collective)'s Slasher Flicks be performing, but so will Chaz Bundick's Les Sins, RJD2, Gaslamp Killer, Dan Deacon, Darkstar, Laurie Anderson, Wolf Eyes and much more. While the initial lineup alone is enough to warrant the $200 ticket for the week's musical festivities, there's still over 70 bands left to be announced.

Each night will also feature showcases from a wide variety of labels and curators like DFA Recods, Fool's Gold, Warp Records and even Hopscotch Music Festival. But music isn't the only thing that this promising new installment of Moogfest has going for it. Throughout the days there will be immersive conversation, exhibitions, film screenings and even engineering sessions for those with enough cash. Visionaries like Giorgio Moroder, Laurie Anderson and Cliff Martinez will join others for panels, discussions and presentations throughout the days.

The set-up of Moogfest allows for folks to choose between just seeing the panels and conferences, checking out the music, or both for separate ticket packages. For a full week pass (day + night) admission is $299 while you can check out the day's festivities for $249 or the night for $199. Those with larger pockets also may be interested in the slew of VIP packages that the festival offers, including a standard VIP deal ($499), an Engineer VIP deal (you can build your own synth and get all of the VIP offerings for $1,000) or a Legacy VIP deal ($10,000 for your own Moog Voyager XL, transportation to and from the airport, dinner with Keith Emerson, hotel accommodations AND the previous package offers). However, those without buckets of cash to spend on festivals will be able to partake in the free street festival or the Tech Expo and Job Fair and visit an electronic instrument pop-up shop.

Tickets for Moogfest can be purchased at the festival's website, where you can check out the full lineup thus far. Check below for the initial lineup announcement: