XIU XIU IN CONCERT:
Experimental art rock outfit Xiu Xiu takes the ‘80s synth-pop dream and turns it into a post-apocalyptic dystopia, littering their jagged compositions with lo-fi synths and crackling drum samples. In concert singer/multi-instrumentalist Jamie Stewart cultivates an ominous feeling by alternately whispering his darkest fears and shouting his nihilistic credos with frustrated passion. He generates a feverish energy as he dances in place and manipulates samplers, oscillators, drum pads, and guitars. Meanwhile co-conspirator Angela Seo plays glitchy synthesizers and programs drum machines to create the sparse atmospheres that complement Stewart’s manic-depressive vision. As this provocative duo tours in support of psychedelic folk band Timbre Timbre, ticket buyers will descend into their bizarre and captivating examination of humanity’s relationship with technology.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Since Xiu Xiu's inception in San Jose, CA in 2000, Jamie Stewart has been the guiding force behind the project's eclectic and experimental catalogue. Named after a somber Chinese film, the group's original roster toured extensively leading up to the release of their 2002 debut album Knife Play. The band began to gain critical praise in 2004 with the relatively pop-oriented Fabulous Muscles, which spawned the cult hit single “I Love the Valley OH!”. Beginning with 2010’s Dear God, I Hate Myself, Stewart enlisted Angela Seo to contribute synths, samples, and drum sequences to their records and live performances. Stewart and Seo also began exploring video game music by using a Nintendo DS to compose much of their 2012 album Always. The two continue to tour, experiment, and record together, releasing the well-received album Angel Guts: Red Classroom in 2014.
