Lindsay Krause, Author at Jankysmooth

The Transcendental Jams of Kikagaku Moyo at Austin’s Scottish Rite Theater

Lindsay Krause June 5, 2017

A Masonic double-headed eagle emblem keeps a watchful eye on top of the glowing sign for Austin’s Historic Scottish Rite Theatre. Over the weekend, this former German opera house transformed into an enchanting lair to host rising experimental Japanese group Kikagaku Moyo. It’s not often that one gets to experience a touring act in a location outside of the typical bar scenario, and the spooky elegance of Austin’s oldest theatre (it was built in the late 1800s!) played a role in elevating the evening, thanks to event producers Perfect Life Presents. Austin acts Hidden Ritual and Soft Healer provided opening support at the theatre that evening. Hidden Ritual’s brand of post-punk exuded the eeriness of a western-noir film, complementing the ominous air in Scottish Rite. Local lighting crews Etherwave and ACID Light Show collaborated on a curious visual backdrop which intertwined black and white vintage 16mm film clips and vivid liquid lights. Overhead the theatre ceiling glowed softly in replicated patterns of celestial bodies in the night sky, prompting Soft Healer’s singer to remark “the sky looks great this evening”. Formed as a busking collective in Tokyo during 2012, Kikagaku Moyo have released 3 full length albums and are currently

Fear and Loathing With King Gizzard and Pond at The Hard Rock

Lindsay Krause April 21, 2017

There’s not much about Las Vegas that ever really appealed to me. Even one with a deep appreciation for the book/film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has to remember that Hunter S. Thompson himself acknowledged the city’s role in the abrupt shift during the spread of the 1960’s San Franciscan counterculture. In his famous “wave speech”, he recalled Sin City as “that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.” However, when the Hard Rock Las Vegas announced an Australian trifecta of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, POND, and ORB at their poolside stage, I determined the possible waves from an epic whirlpool/moshpit/portal would be more than enough to lure me from Austin out to the desert. Sandwiched between first time Coachella sets for both King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and POND, the Las Vegas double headliner event comes at a time when both acts are beginning to creep onto a wider world stage. Formed in 2010, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard reportedly chose their name “as a joke”, however, the work ethic of the 7-piece is anything but that. Since their inception, the Melbourne natives have released 9 full lengths, with reported intentions on

Day For Night Fest: Futurists Of Audio & Visual Converge In Houston

Lindsay Krause December 26, 2016

Shadowy figures traverse dimly lit concrete walkways, gliding past “High Voltage” warning signs that adorn massive steel boxes hanging from the ceiling. A chain link-fence houses what appears to be some sort of parasitic mass of hair, the fibers hovering above curious crowds of observers like a space creature. A neo-futuristic looking couple decked out in silver metallic platforms, all black skintight clothing and bondage style leather harnesses hold hands as they navigate the industrial landscape and make their way toward the Blue stage. Had I taken the red pill and woken up in the goth haunt Club Hel from the film The Matrix? It certainly felt that way, but I was in fact partying inside Houston’s premier winter music and arts festival, Day for Night. Taking residence in a vacant post office building in the heart of downtown the second edition of the gathering boasted an exclusive Bjork digital exhibit, a highly-anticipated headlining appearance from Aphex Twin (his first set in the U.S. since Coachella 2008), 3 outdoor stages and a multitude of thought provoking light installations. The event is the product of the minds that organize Houston’s Free Press Summer Fest, yet Day for Night offers an experience that

Your Senses Will Collide at Upcoming Day For Night Festival, Houston

Lindsay Krause December 7, 2016

“…We can be certain that the military, the B corporate world, the government and so on are going to use tech and I feel it is important that the artist helps define it and mold it. Because who else is going to put humanity and soul into it?” – Bjork via Creative Review related content: Headliners Rule at Outside Lands 2016 We are entering the end times for the traditional music festival model, and Houston’s Day for Night is leading the evolution toward curated immersive digital experiences. Festival titans like Coachella and Bonnaroo rose to infamy over the years by building bigger stages, pulling bigger headliners, and being taken over by big money; sticking with the traditional format which events throughout the world have replicated since the original Woodstock. However, the modern cultural connoisseur is looking to have their perceptions cleansed not only through sound, but through the merging of art, light and technology. Welcome to the future of festivals. related content: 2016 is the Year Coachella Jumped the Shark related content: Coachella: No History in Your Hate Leading this year’s lineup of electronic provocateurs, Day for Night will feature a 5-room digital experience and DJ set by experimental pop