About the Performance

Through the use of synthesizers, electronics, processing devices and computer hardware/software, each artist both organically and inorganically embeds layers of live sound deftly executing a unique atmosphere that inlays the host space. This spring program will feature a line-up that includes: Tanner Garza, Illicit Relationship, Splendid Emblem, LIMB, Raceway, and Lily Taylor.

About Illicit Relationship
Illicit Relationship is a Houston, Texas, USA-based experimental music project of Carol Sandin Cooley and Austin Cooley.  It melds together drone, avant garde, Kosmishe school Krautrock, ambient, audio collage, noise and musique concrete, approaching music as sound sculpture. Carol has been active in the Houston experimental and underground music scene for over 30 years, having formerly been involved in such projects as Rotten Piece, Sad Pygmy, Trailor Trash, Linus Pauling Quartet, Disband, Poor Dumb Bastards, Ouroboros and Glass Snake Lizards; Austin was a founding member of the early noise rock band Turmoil In The Toybox, had a long-running harsh noise project, Concrete Violin, and co-hosted KPFT Houston’s Funhouse, a legendary punk and experimental radio show.  In addition to Illicit Relationship, they form comedy wall noise act Painful Vigil, and are members of Black Leather Jesus, Unified Space and Frustrated Dissector.  In addition to playing in Garden Medium, an experimental/improve trio, Carol’s current solo project is Zahava and she is an accomplished photographer and painter while Austin has hosted Genetic Memory, radio station KTRU Houston’s sound oddity showcase, for the past 24 years.

About Lily Taylor
“Taylor’s extremely diverse background informs her artistic voice without overtaking the singular vision explored on [her album] The Ride. She has studied contemporary, Western classical, jazz, funk, R&B, West African and Middle Eastern/Balkan music at College of Santa Fe in New Mexico. Over the last decade, she has performed with experimental rock bands, Americana, Turkish and Classical ensembles, noise shows, indie-pop bands, jazz bands, DJs and hip hop crews. With such a diverse background, Taylor is capable of whatever she puts her mind to. That makes the striking originality of her album all the more special. The Ride is currently available in digital format, vinyl and cassette tape.” –WANZ DOVER Dallas Observer

Lily Taylor also locks harmony and tours nationally with San Francisco’s darling, Karina Denike and her band.  She has collaborated with dancers, performance artists, musicians, poets, fashion designers, and artists around the Bay Area and the state of Texas—exploring the art of Drag, dive rock clubs, vintage jazz halls, SoMA theaters, parlors, galleries, and underground venues of San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, CA; Denver, CO; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; Denton, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and Dallas, TX. Other projects include: experimental/noise acts: Ulnae, Locations, and XIOIX ;hip hop collaborations with Juicy The Emissary, Joey Mousepad; jazz collaboration with Daniel Fabricant, The Cottontails with Karina Denike, Drizzoletto and Octomutt; dance and electronic music collaboration with Brian Mayhall. Taylor tours her solo material in California and the Southwest regularly, currently collaborating with husband and video artist, Sean Patrick Miller.

About LIMB
James Templeton is a Houston native who performs music under the moniker LIMB. Crafting an innovative and disorienting mix of sampled sounds, custom instrumentation and visuals, James has released several projects that showcase a wide variety of artistry and temperament. Among his most notable performances are “OCTA” (An octophonic sound experience) at Day For Night and “Obstructions” (custom instrumentation) for TEDx Houston. He is also, owner, animator and creative director at Dinolion Studios.

About Raceway
Raceway is Bryan Porter and Carlos Pozo, an instrumental duo based in Houston, Texas. Raceway blends traditional rock instrumentation and electronics to create an atmospheric and moody mix of shimmering guitars and driving rhythms.

About Splendid Emblem
Houston’s electronic duo Splendid Emblem, composed of Collin Hedrick and Jason Fields, creates otherworldly synth-based soundscapes. The duo recently released, Upper Body, a 20-minute video EP that seamlessly blends the vast, lo-fi compositions of Splendid Emblem with visuals that resemble a multi-colored trip through space.

About Tanner Garza
Tanner Garza is an experimental musician that has been combining elements of jazz, glitch, drone, noise, R&B, 20th century classical and Musique Concrète into his own twisted take on the ambient genre using homemade tape loops or bass guitar & Frippertronics inspired improvisations.