C.Kostra releases “Now I Feel It” at the Icehouse

Electronic music in the Twin Cities is alive and well as evident in yesterday’s show at the Icehouse. C.Kostra (the solo project of Ryan Olcott)  released his new album “Now i feel it” and he brought plenty of buddies along.

DJ Devata Daun started the evening and kept things lively between sets. The first artist to take the stage was Zina. She was already drawing a pretty good crow and the Icehouse sold out during her set. Good danceable beats and synth cords blended nicely with her vocals.

68 degrees is (yet another) side project by Mark Ritsema of Suzie fame. This one is a hard funk and boy, there was funk. Opening with a version of “The Star Spangled Banner”, Ritsema drew the crowd into he web of music. He took his guitar all over the stage, occasionally returning to the microphone to deliver some vocals. The guitar chords recalled 70s Funk (and some era crime shows) and the visuals projected above matched the vibe.

Then it was C.Kostra’s turn. He brought his own ground LEDs having the Icehouse turn off the house lights. TCM had a chance to talk to him a few days ago, check out the interview HERE. C.Kostra mixes samples, inspiration from many genres and his distorted voice to create a unique cool sound. The background samples were at times quite upbeat and airy reminding me a bit of the Avalanches. He blasted some vocal effects at the crowd and followed that with: “Did that sound cool?” – Yeah, it did. His songs are very danceable and the crowd took advantage of that. Overall , a great set and a very cool album.

To close out the evening Solid Gold took the stage at 1AM leaving their guitars behind to deliver an electronic set. Heavy smoke, dim lights, and dark sounds pulled the Icehouse into a haze that had singer Zack Coulter’s voice floating through the room.