Bands, DJs and Performers • C14
Appearing at Convergence 14
Taking elements of rock, glitch, retro-flavored-synth music, and coloring it with a decidedly melodic worldview, Iris is a band that's hard to classify. The new album, "Wrath", is the latest signpost in the Iris story - a record which is energetic, complex, and emotional. ( Website, MySpace )
Born under the grey skies of Chicago, brothers Bret and Bart Helm were exposed to music at an early age by their father, a Frank Sinatra connoisseur. It wasn't until their teenage years when the Helms spark for music really began to burn. Influences like U2, The Smiths and the Cure gave them the inspiration to write songs of their own.
Through lots of hard work and determination, Audra moved out of the bedroom and onto the stages of several clubs. In 2002, luck dropped one of the valley's best drummers, J. DeWolfe, into Audra's hands. Now a power trio, Audra's sharp, intense stage presence and well-crafted songs never fail to mesmerize a crowd. ( Website, MySpace )
Voltaire is often described as a modern day renaissance man. He is a singer/ performer, creator of comic books, animation and toys. As a musician, he is a songwriter whose music can best be described as a collection of murder ballads, tongue-in-cheek exercises in the macabre, with just enough bawdy songs about Star Trek and Star Wars to keep a Con audience rolling in the aisles. Many know him for his song "Brains!" from the Cartoon Network show "The Grim Adventures of Billy And Mandy". Voltaire's live shows, whether solo or with his skeletal orchestra, are highly theatrical -full of stories and games. Read more... ( Website, MySpace )
Faded Sympathy
Formed in Columbus, Ohio in the fall of 2003, faded sympathy combines the post-punk sounds of the early 80's with the early 90's shoegazer swirly wall-of-sound approach to create a dark alternative sound that reflects the bleak outlook of our times. In the fall of 2005, an EP, "four shadows", was released to praise from fans and reviewers alike. They have since released their eponymous debut record in October 2006. They are also playing select shows, supporting acts such as She Wants Revenge, Attrition, Cesium 137, and More Machine Than Man. ( Website )
The synthetic dream foundation coalesced as an experimental music band during the harsh, freezing seasons of late 2003. In that short time frame the band has gardened a palette of sound which is comparable to the glittering of phosphorescent life on the bottom of a cold, blackened sea. From harsh, brooding, mechanical beats to dreamy, neo-classical mirages, and dark ambient masterworks which shift through and absorb cold, alien landscapes. TSDF is not limited by genre, but instead compelled by the infinite possibilities that electronic advancements bestow on the musical and artistic forms. ( Website, MySpace )
A blend of new wave, traditional goth rock, and synth pop, The Passing Hour hails from Louisville, Kentucky. After working in the same circles of musicians for many years, the guys finally found the right combination in each other. The Passing Hour released their long awaited debut record, Forever This Day in 2007 with songs that will draw you to the dance floor and move your heart, body, and mind. ( Website, MySpace )
Who is Missile Command, one may ask? If the first thing you think about is that really awesome game from the eighties, you're only half right. They are awesome, but they are not to be confused with a mere 8 bit Atari creation. Oh, no... Missile Command in its newest incarnation is much more fun than you could have in your mom's basement. Read more... ( Website, MySpace )
Fiction 8 offers songs that are at once both visceral and catchy. Their beats pound hard enough to keep even the most fickle dancefloor moving, while their lyrical hooks are sharp enough to torment listeners for days. And through all of this, Fiction 8 retains a suffering edge that is reminiscent of Depeche Mode or The Smiths. Perhaps it is because of these ingredients that Fiction 8 has managed to quietly attract such a large and diverse following. Their music is immediately familiar, yet strangely fresh and contemporary.
Band members Michael Smith, Steven Hart, and Mardi "paisli" Salazar work together to combine a creative and unique sound that is distinctly Fiction 8. ( Website, MySpace )
Exit was born in the mid-1990s out of Austin, Texas' Ben Londa's love of electronic music, particularly the ambient soundscapes of Global Communication and early Projekt Records releases. Meshing electronics with guitars, Londa began self-releasing albums at rapid speed. 2005's The Way Out Is Through showed Londa's maturity as a songwriter, garnering praise from publications all around the world. Displaying influences such as The Cure, Soul Whirling Somewhere and Red House Painters, The Way Out Is Through has been described as "one of the best, most well-crafted albums of the year" by CD Baby and "a very important release and an artist to pay attention to" by Dark Austin.
2008 will bring Exit's next release, The Blind Alley, further showcasing the poignant lyricism and achingly beautiful music that made The Way Out Is Through such a success. ( Website, MySpace )
DJs
CarrieMonster
Chicago, IL
DJ Ian Nothing
Chicago, IL/New York City, NY
DJ Keith
Milwaukee, WI
DJ Keith is a former regular at Club Anything? in Milwaukee, where he spun darkwave, gothic and industrial for 4 years. Read more...
Alex Reed
From Thou Shalt Not
Gainesville, FL
DJ SailorGloom
Germany - Out of the Black Forest of Germany, DJ SailorGloom comes to us from Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, formerly from the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Growing up in Northern New Jersey, he experienced some of the finest Gothic and Industrial clubs on the East Coast (Communion, Exedor, Batcave/Albion, Long Black Veil, Wasteland, QXTs , and Nation to name a few). Read more...
( MySpace )
DJ Satori
Las Vegas, NV - A disc jockey for 15 years, DJ Satori is currently a house DJ at Blacklist, Las Vegas. Read more...
DJ Storm
Storm is a New York DJ who has spun nights at Limelight(Biotek,Lust), Mother(Long Black Veil,Click and Drag), CGBG's(Alchemy, Absolution), Coney Island High(Sabotage,Wasteland), Pyramid(MI7) and Downtime(Bound NYC) as well as other guest spots all over the scene; spanning more then ten years. Read more...
DJ Scar
The OC, CA - Scar has been in the scene in LA for what it seems is too many years. He is a self-proclaimed DJ without a club. Read more...
DJ Sexbat
United Kingdom - Sexbat is from London, the proper one, in England. He has met the Queen; twice! The second time he pulled out into the middle of her motorcade with the roof of his car down playing "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols. Read more...
DJ Spider
Charlotte, NC - Primarily a goth/industrial DJ with a healthy dose of 80s and electro, DJ Spider has spun a variety of formats over the years, which means anything is bound to show up in her sets, described as "vibrant", "surprising", "kick-ass", and "Omigod, is she really that tall?" Read more...
( LiveJournal, MySpace )
Spinmistress Batty
Cleveland, OH
( Website )
TheOneBob
Tampa, Fla
Vikki Wilson
San Francisco/Norfolk, VA - Vikki grew up in Germany most of her life, which had a huge influence in her taste of industrial and goth, along with many forms of electronic. While attending college, she got into radio after attending a recruiting seminar. Read more...
DJ Voodoo
San Francisco, CA - Voodoo has been spinning records (yep, records was all we had back then) for over twenty years. In 1985 he created the first all gothic club night in Santa Barbara CA. Voodoo is a Convergence veteran; having attended many C's starting with C5, which he remembers fondly (at least the bits he can remember), and had the pleasure of spinning at C10 and C12. In addition, he has entertained at WGT, WGW, Black Sun, Dracula's Ball, and Bats Day. Read more...
( Website ),
( MySpace )