Mr. Einar's Neighborhood - March 1995
This is not an article about art. That’s for endless conversations. I want to
focus on entertainment.
Those of you who are not on the listserv missed a discussion about the possibility
of a "Cyberclub" in Seattle where fans/patrons/interested parties could come on a regular basis and enjoy a
wide variety of electronic entertainment, something fresh and set apart from the usual fare. I thought I
would put out some further thoughts on the matter to encourage such a venue’s birth.
Last night I attended
a performance by Rob Angus and Jeff Greinke at a new club in Fremont called Black Citron. They did two
separate sets. The first at about 8:00 was ambient, and then the second, around 10:00, was dance oriented
with a fresh twist on standard dance music. They blended hip rhythm samples and loops with growls,
squeaks and some very wild almost analog sounding synth leads. It was ear candy. A fine variety.
While
listening to the music I enjoyed the projections of our own Steve Hawks, who was teamed up with Cully
Ewing who projected "analog" patterns using overheads onto the same screen as Steve’s video projector.
Together, the projections created the illusion of a liquid wall. I was fascinated.
It amazes me that Rob and
Jeff are doing shows in a warehouse space on a Wednesday night to 30 people. The quality of the
entertainment is so much higher and more interesting than the standard fare around town. And Jeff has
eight albums / CDs out after all these years of recording. Two are out of print, but six are still available,
CHANGING SKIES, IN ANOTHER PLACE, LOST TERRAIN, BIG WEATHER, TIMBRAL PLAINS,
and CROSSING NGOLI (recorded with Rob). Rob just released his first solo CD on a Swedish label. And
still, just a few people gather for a performance. This show was a prime example of what kind of
entertainment could be happening in a local "Cyberclub".
I talked with Jeff and a few others after the
show, and I think we agreed that most of the public (potential customers) just don’t know about this kind
of performance or this kind of music. We talked a little about the effect that Grunge had on Seattle. While
it was nice that Seattle received the international spotlight due to some very good bands, it constricted the
few clubs that were booking "alternative" acts (whatever that means anymore) because in order to make
the bucks to stay alive they were forced to feed the public more Grunge.
It’s time for a change.
If you’ve
been following the local industrial scene, you’ve noticed some rapid upward movement by some local
bands. I would like to put in a plug for the NEC (Northwest Elektro-Industrial Coalition) and a big High-
Five to Kill Switch ...Klick. I have been listening to a copy of their soon to be released CD on Cleopatra
Records and I am excited for them. Devin has been pounding on doors and hounding people for years to
get Industrial gigs in the "Grunge" capital of the world, and his efforts are now paying off. Several of the
local Elektro-Industrial acts have signed recording contracts, and with any luck a new wave of excitement
will wash over the general public when they hear the new music.
Whether Elektro-Industrial like KSK, or
Ambient like Greinke and Angus, these acts share the medium of electronic music. I’ve noticed a common
element at most electronic music performances: Projections. Tie the two together-computer music and
computer projections- and you have something like "cyber" entertainment.
My point is: It’s time. It’s
here. It’s BEEN here. I’ve suggested in this newsletter before that this town must be loaded with folks
sitting in their bedrooms and basements making wonderful music or animations or designing some other
forms of entertainment that a guy like me can’t quite imagine. To you folks: get ready! It’s time to hit the
stage. Julius and I will be launching Bubblevision in April. (More on that next month.)
Most importantly,
especially regarding new genres of entertainment, anything goes. We can all inspire each other with our
creations and our views and experiences.
Of course, in order for any scene to perpetuate itself, it’s going to
require a lot of product. And a lot of patrons. I think we have both in our own backyard. There are many
hi-tech companies around which means there are many hi-tech consumers working in the region. I
believe Entros stands as a monument to the fact that some people will pay higher prices for something
new and exciting. Customers for Rob & Jeff’s kind of work (and for all of our own works) are walking
around with us every day. And remember the growing Elektro-Industrial scene.
We need to continue
spreading the word that this "Cyber" stuff is here, it’s alive and fresh, and it’s very entertaining.
See ya,
Einar