Cold night, colder drinks and a sweaty venue – pretty much the recipe for a good November night in the Twin Cities. Seattle-based ODESZA helped warm up the Twin Cities on night one of two at The Myth (and the endless supply of drinks that seemed to be flowing from the many bars scattered around The Myth).
Though the Twin Cities is just one of many stops on ODESZA’S A Moment Apart Tour, the entire lineup had that magical ability to make the Twin Cities feel like it was their only stop on tour.
Opening up the evening was Gothenburg, Sweden-based Kasbo. At just 21-years-young Kasbo, also known as Carl Garsbo, is already making quite a name for himself in the ever-changing and ever-competitive world of electronic music. And after witnessing his live set, it’s evident why. “Hi Minneapolis. How are you guys doing? I’m Kasbo and I’m from Sweden. So this is really fucking sick for me,” Garsbo said bashfully between songs.
Kasbo’s bedroom DIY vibe blends elements from top-40 pop, electronica, lofi and rock. The similarities between Kasbo and the likes of Flume, Hermitude and of course ODESZA are undeniable but Kasbo is making a sound all his own. A standout from his set was his recent release with Nea Bleed It Out. If last night’s set was any indication we will seeing plenty more from Kasbo.
Following Kasbo was the duo that is quickly becoming one of my favorite names in indie-electronic music, Sofi Tukker. This New York-via-Brazil based duo is made up of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. I first got wind of Sofi Tukker after they teamed up with fellow New Yorkers, The Knocks. The Knocks quickly signed Sofi Tukker to their label HeavyRoc Music and it seems like the rest is history.
After teaming up with Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner of The Knocks, Sofi Tukker took the Twittersphere by storm just two years ago with their infectiously catchy Drinkee, (which they played to perfection at The Myth last night). Sofi Tukker blends sugary sweet synth with jungle-inspired bongos, cowbells and deep-diving bass, and Hawley-Weld and Halpern’s native Portuguese, creating a sound that is so perfectly Brazil streets meets New York rooftop.
Headliner ODESZA took to the stage shortly after 10:00 to a packed and sweaty crowd. The massive screen faded to an image of earth from the window of a spaceship. An ethereal voice that sounded like something out of Apollo 13 blared through The Myth’s speakers.
“Do you know that story about the Russian cosmonaut? So, he goes up in this big spaceship And he’s got this portal window. And he’s looking out of it And he sees the curvature of the Earth for the first time. And all of a sudden, this strange ticking…So the cosmonaut decides he only way to save his sanity Is to fall in love with this sound,” the voice continues.
The journey of ODESZA’s set was just beginning, and this was just one of the many theatrical and otherworldly elements of the duo’s set. In recent years ODESZA’s visuals have become an integral part of their live sets, almost as much as the music itself. Seeing these two live is not just about the music, but the entire experience. And the duo did not disappoint with a full light show – even if EDM isn’t your cup of tea, you have to respect the live shows they put on.
In many ways ODESZA isn’t your typical DJ/EDM set – it’s not just two guys behind laptops. Rather they integrate live instruments including drums, guitar, trumpet, trombone and a full drumline. How many EDM artists can say that?
“Minneapolis, it’s great to be here. You guys always show us so much love. It’s an honor to be here,” Harrison Mills said. And show them the love Minneapolis did. It was a nonstop dance party, exactly what you’d hope for at an ODESZA show. It was a nonstop sensory experience, from the lights to the music to the visuals to the drumline to the trumpets and trombones. There wasn’t a single dull moment from ODESZA’s set. Standouts included All We Need (feat. Shy Girls), A Moment Apart and Late Night.
Sofi Tukker are not “New York-via-Brazil” as your article claims, nor are they “native Portuguese.” They are both American. They met in their senior year at Brown University, where she was majoring in Brazilian Studies (where she learned the language) and he was majoring in Art History. All of these facts are readily discovered by Googling them, so do your research.