Room 205 x Tropic of Cancer: Helmut Lang Journal

Excited to see an episode of Room 205 with Tropic of Cancer on Helmut Lang’s Journal. The song & video were also used during the recent Helmut Lang Spring 2013 runway show.

I Break Horses – Load Your Eyes (at Room 205)

The band closes out their Room 205 sessions with a punchy, improvised performance that totally rips.

I Break Horses Perform “Load Your Eyes” in Room 205

With vast appreciation and excitement, we present the final installment of our Room 205 episode with I Break Horses. For this punchy, improvised live performance of “Load Your Eyes,” director Forrest Borie employs a top secret animated screen-grab technique to accentuate drummer Fredrik Balck’s glitchy beats and the robust, off-the-cuff elegance of singer Maria Linden’s remarkable voice.

Special thanks goes to I Break Horses for making this episode of Room 205 possible. Despite all being ill with the flu and suffering an unexpected summer heat wave, their goodwill and resolve won out. Thanks also to director Forrest Borie, set designer Tamarra Younis, dp Jeffrey Peters, audio engineer J. Clark, camera operator Conor Simpson, and producer/camera operator Arlie Carstens. In every sense of the word, this episode of Room 205 was truly an inspired collaborative creation.

Look for a new episode of Room 205 next month.

I Break Horses – Hearts (at Room 205)

In their second installment of Room 205, Sweden’s I Break Horses conjure an ebullient sea of shimmering synths and insistent beats in this exceptionally intimate live performance.

I Break Horses Perform “Hearts” in Room 205

Today we premiere the second installment of Room 205 with special guest I Break Horses. Inspired by the stark intimacy and rising euphoria of “Hearts,” set designer Tamarra Younis turned Room 205 into a soft cocoon of billowing muslin gauze. Thereafter, director Forrest Borie shot the entire performance through dozens of tiny glory holes cut into the fabric. But why? Well, as directors go, Borie’s a bit of a peeping tom. He wanted to capture I Break Horses doing what they do best—getting lost in the moment. The resulting video offers a beautiful, glowing snapshot of the band in all its blissed out glory.

Look for the final I Break Horses x Room 205 performance, “Load Your Eyes,” to launch Monday, September 24th.

MusicFestNW, Keeping Perfect Time

After five days of non-stop shows Portland’s MusicFest NW is now finally over. As part of Incase’s 6th-year returning sponsorship, this year festival organizer Trevor Solomon tasked us with curating two nights of shows at the downtown PDX venue Ted’s (formerly Berbati’s Pan). Rad.

On Friday, Sept. 7th, we debuted ‘Room 205 live’, bringing together a cadre of recent Room 205 musical guests for a night of live performance and sweaty, spasmodic dance moves, (including sets by Tropic of Cancer, Craft Spells, Crystal Antlers, Chelsea Wolfe, and hometown favorites BLOUSE). For this special event we filmed a concert documentary with celebrated director Greg Hunt, dp Gregg Schmitt and audio engineer Griffin Rodriguez. Look for the first episode of the doc to launch mid-October and the second half in mid-November.

On a related-but-entirely creepy note, Incase also sponsored the MFNW art show and pop-up shop of enigmatic entertainer Neckface at the One Grand Gallery on East Burnside. Titled “A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL!!!”, the exhibit showcases a wide range of Neck’s newest pen & ink drawings and a bevy of chilling tchotchkes, (including t-shirts, hoodies, poster prints, and pentagram-frosted chocolate cupcakes). For the occasion Incase created custom laser-etched Incase iPhone 4s cases brandishing one-of-a-kind Neckfacian one-liners like, “DRUNK AGAIN…,” “Snake Eyes,” and the ominous “YOU LOOK LIKE A MESS…THAT’S THE ONLY LOOK I’VE GOT LEFT”. Yes, it was a packed house. And yes, Ako Jefferson DJ’d using only an iPhone 4s and an RCA cable connected to a blown out PA. Brilliant. The gallery show and pop-up shop run Sept. 7th—Oct. 5th. Go if you’re feeling ghoulish.

On Saturday, September 8th, we hosted the Captured Tracks label showcase with Mac DeMarco, DIIV, The Soft Moon and Wild Nothing. From doors at 9PM until last call at 1:45AM, it is no exaggeration to say both night’s were sold out and sweaty beyond belief. All in all, both showcases went far beyond our expectations and made a lot of super-fans and festival attendees very, very happy.

Thanks again to Trevor Solomon, Matt Manza, Nathan Ostrander, Kenric Ashe, and Fasil Debeb at MFNW. Thanks again to our A/V crew Greg Hunt, Gregg Schmitt, and Griffin Rodriguez. Your friendship and considerable kindness have truly made this festival our favorite event of the year thus far. Thanks again to all of the performing artists and the extended Portland music community. We love this festival and are excited to return next year. Enjoy a quick Flickr set from MFNW 2012.

I Break Horses – Wired (at Room 205)

While on a recent US tour supporting M83, Sweden’s I Break Horses stopped into Room 205 for a deeply weird live session opening with a performance of “Wired.”

New Room 205 Episode with I Break Horses

Room 205 welcomes you to the densely layered world of I Break Horses, the nom de plume of Maria Lindén and musical partner Fredrik Balck. While on a recent US tour supporting M83, the duo stopped into Room 205 for a deeply weird live session during a brutal heatwave. It was HOT and they were sick as dogs, so they stripped to their underwear before a single note warbled from their synths. Even so, the vibe created by the white light/white heat/white underwear delivered the first almost-perfect episode of Room 205.

Residing in Stockholm, Sweden, I Break Horses quietly crafted their 2011 debut album Hearts via stolen moments gathered up over a span of three years. Although heavily (and openly) influenced by MBV, Slowdive and Jesus & Mary Chain, I Break Horses is far from an exercise in typical shoegaze fare. Coupled with Lindén’s vocals, a gorgeous Scandinavian croon bathed in layers of oceanic reverb and tremelo, and God only knows how many synths, drum pads and ornately effected guitar chords, I Break Horses offers a unique sonic experience unlike anything else you’ll soon hear.

Look for the next installment of the episode to launch next Monday, September 17 with a performance of “Hearts”.

Peggy Honeywell – Peach and Yellow Skies (at Room 205)

Watch the final installment of our Room 205 episode with Peggy Honeywell, featuring the elegant, minimalist songs of elusive folk chanteuse Clare Rojas.

Peggy Honeywell Performs “Peach and Yellow Skies” in Room 205

Today, we present the third and final installment of our Room 205 episode with Peggy Honeywell with a closing performance of “Peach and Yellow Skies.”

Peggy Honeywell is the musical alter-ego of visual artist Clare Rojas. Born in Philadelphia, PA in 1999, Peggy is a self-taught guitar and banjo player who draws inspiration from proto-folk and bluegrass/country artists like Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn and Roy Orbison. Peggy Honeywell has released four albums, two of which can be found on the highly esteemed Galaxia label out of San Francisco, CA.

Special thanks goes to Clare Rojas for making this episode of Room 205 possible. Without her graceful songs and considerable artistic skills we couldn’t have done it. Thanks also to director Conor Simpson, set designer Tamarra Younis, audio engineer Jon Gilbert, DP Michael Silva, producer Arlie Carstens and web czar Marcel Appelman.

Visit Room 205 to view all three Peggy Honeywell performances as well as those by previously featured artists. Streaming tracks of Room 205 recordings are available through Soundcloud.