Scene Report: Live in the Depths 92

LIVE IN THE DEPTHS 92: Official Website

Venue: Mississippi Pizza & Atlantis Lounge – Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR

^{Disclaimer: Time is a slippery bastard. What you’re about to read happened in some kind of order, maybe not the one you’d expect. Dialogue has been trimmed, warped, and occasionally shoved through a meat grinder for clarity. Reality remains mostly intact.}

What makes the perfect margarita? Some would say it depends on the hour and the bartender’s moral compass. Some people swear by the frozen variety, but to others it’s on the rocks or bust. I’m not here to preach purity. I’m no alchemist of spirits, and I know as much about liquor as I do about music and gear, but just like music, I know what feels good to me. The drink should have the nerve to meet you head on with no hollow sweetness pretending to be warmth. The drink must be honest. The margarita I was served at Live in the Depths 92, was one of the most honest drinks I’ve had a good long time. What a perfect start to the evening.

I’d heard IFSH before – twice, in the strange glow of comfort and community at separate Ambient Garden Parties buried somewhere in NE Portland. It was a nice surprise to hear them go full on experimental slow vocal chopping and kind of a revelation. Plunderphonics is a dangerous beast – an ocean; you can’t turn your back on it or it can swallow a performance whole if you lose focus, and most artists do. Most artists drown trying to sound clever. Their set was kind of dance’y – but in that nondescript way. The slower beats drifted just enough to make the bodies in the crowd sway without realizing it. Figment & Pineal Perceptions were on visuals tonight, it went together with the music splendidly. Check out some of their set below.

I asked Occurian which Wesley Snipes movie they had a chance to watch (read the EQUALIZER scene report for context) and he told me he hasn’t watched any on the list I made for him. Occurian, we’ve all made time for Wesley Snipes and you can be one of us, too. He said he’d watch Passenger 57, so if all goes well, by the next Live in the Depths, we’ll get a proper debrief. I also found out that Occurian’s new album is coming along nicely – I’m really looking forward to that record. Check out some of their work: here.

Lots of familiar faces this evening. D.phono came out tonight, sans the Air Jordans (much to my chagrin), and standing next to him was Paz, emissary from the warehouse of sound known as Process (read about Hardware at Process). Honestly, I didn’t remember meeting her at Process and for a second, my brain refused to cooperate; stuck in the spinning Rolodex of too many half-lit introductions. I usually need just about 10 seconds to buffer until old conversations comes flooding back from the deep pits of an non-defragged brain. Anyway, there’s a big HARDWARE show happening there next Thursday featuring all the usual suspects like BLAIX, Casual Decay, Greystar, Joel Noct, Production Unit Xero, Hypersurface & Enzo Caselnova. Also, Paz will be there so make sure and say hello.

Gangster Computer God is the resident sound lord at Live in the Depths just about every week, so you know this set going to absolutely kill. And man was I right. He’s such a pure soul and I absolutely love his fat beats – it’s like the ionized taste of something dangerous and deeply funky. His work is so nourishing and it absolutely washed over me. Their music feels like the sandwich after Thanksgiving. That fat turkey sandwich that gives life to all things that are good – late-night leftovers from a better world. It hits the stomach first, then the heart. Absolutely wonderful set. Also, don’t forget to catch his other act, Flying Caravan, at Atlantis Lounge tonight. Food drive, good people, full hearts. Nourishment in every sense.

Don’t forget to check out their highly anticipated album just released on Heterodox Records.

It was one of those Live in the Depths nights where the air hums with conversation between sets. Honestly I kept getting lost in Colefu‘s fun musical selection as DJ. I partially blame their fine work tonight, because I couldn’t get the full context of the conversation that was happening next to me. Something about a Halloween hot dog costume and racism. I’m sure there’s an interesting story there. Also, Soup Purse (aka Todd) seems to agree with my earlier margarita sentiments, because he just took his second swig of my drink. Almost as good as Tricilian Delight.

Next up was CATTOAD (formerly CyclopTatiToad) and honestly they’re a lot like Forrest Gump’s chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get. Based on their attire, their set was all about the cats. But to be fair, when is life not all about the cats. Tati’s vocals are usually super ethereal, but this time she was no doubt attacking the crowd spiritually and emotionally with the poignant lyrics, “AVOIDANT ATTACHEMENT PERSON.” Deep kitty cut. God I love that we got the full on cat version of this duo. I need to seem them play at least once a month. The full cat version of this duo should be mandatory viewing. Check out some of their set below.

Also, Akemie made an appearance tonight. They said they were playing four shows this month, so naturally I asked where the next show would be and they replied, “Some house with a backyard.” Ah yes, I know exactly where that is. Check out their socials for the deets.

The last set of the evening was Giriu Dvasios & Markushka – a pairing that felt almost ceremonial after the chaos that came before. It was a little bit different than what I’m used to at Live in the Depths. It was giving Enya and new world vocalizations. The sound leaned toward the sacred: airy chants, spectral harmonies, something that belonged more to ancient forests than concrete basements. It’s a hell of a task to follow a cosplaying cat electronic duo, but this Portland after all. One moment you’re knee-deep in feline theatrics and existential pop therapy, the next you’re floating in a cloud of transcendental reverence. Somehow, it worked.

On a related note, SNAP benefits aren’t an abstract line in a budget – they’re the difference between kids eating dinner and going to bed hungry, between surviving the week or falling behind exponentially. The ones who know will understand this next sentence: nights like this prove that music scene is more than dancing and escapism – it’s a network of compassion.

You can listen to LITD sets on S.P.A.Z. Radio here: https://spaz.org/