DPSD and Soft as Snow Expand the Imagination at Zebulon

Experimental synth performers DPSD (Danny Perez) and Soft as Snow closed out their short West Coast tour at Zebulon on Labor Day. DPSD is a Los Angeles based performer while Soft as Snow is a Berlin-based, Norwegian duo (Oda Starheim and Øystein Monsen). To start off his set, Perez described his sound as, "F*cking weird sh*t."  

DPSD at Zebulon

I won't argue with that description. Perez played an electric guitar and in front of him was a makeshift table loaded with his electronic gear and laptop. His music sounded like ambient tunes that was run through a computer program to give it a technological output. Behind him, the venue's projector screen was showing (what can I say, but) weird videos. Teeth. Robots. Palm Trees. Someone laying their large stomach onto a kitchen table and rolling it like bread dough. 

Comment of the set: Don't applaud that. That was a terrible transition. I have ten minutes left. 

DPSD at Zebulon

I do think it is difficult to determine when an instrument set has concluded. There was a moment of silence and the crowd began to cheer. A little too early based on the above comment. 

To conclude the set, he turned up the volume. There were some technical issues that led to less than desired results. Just as he was ending the song, the sound guy rushed to the stage to tweak things, but it was too late as the song had concluded. He did an onstage performer of a rock god, swinging his electric guitar high, "I felt like I was miming you guys." 

While DPSD used videos to provide context to his music, Soft as Snow used the interpretive dancing skills of Starheim. Even more so than DPSD, Monsen had his table packed with gear, which he utilized with stylish flair. Starheim had primary vocal duties and walked casually around the stage. The vocals were like a imagined deleted scene from Fantastic Planet (1973) where an Om character gives birth to a Draag. 

Soft as Snow at Zebulon

Starheim occasionally took a fetal position onto the floor and rose like the birth of my imagined aliens. Or there were hair flings under the red glow, as if those alien creatures were taking their first breath of life. 

The night ended with a song that featured heavy bass beats that vibrated the body.   

Soft as Snow at Zebulon

It was a night to enjoy a different part of the Los Angeles music scene. 

Environmental Studies Indulge in the Scientific Method at Zebulon

Experimental electronic music is not a genre that I seek out on a regular basis. To me, experimental electronic music is the equivalent of Arnold Schoenberg in classical music -- you catch it on occasion. My first encounter with experimental electronic music was when I was required to work up in San Francisco for a few months back in 2013. While up there, I decided to check out as many different venues as possible. It just so happened that three of those nights out were spent catching artists on their modular synthesizers.

Environmental Studios at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Neta's Blood and Ink (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Note: This set occurred back in July. I put a hold on it until "Blood and Ink" got released.

Neta (the mononym for Neta Rozenblat) had his debut set at a WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. It was his debut show, but he has a fascinating music background. He is a member of as1one, which is the first Israeli-Palestinian boy band. Unlike the boy band pop sounds behind as1one, Neta performed a solo singer-songwriter set with his only companion being an acoustic guitar. I should say his only companion on stage was his guitar. Off stage, his friends cheered him on and two (one, I believe, being his girlfriend) took turns taking video of the full set. 

Neta at Hotel Ziggy

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Sep 20th - Sep 26th

A Handful of Show Alerts

Sunday, Sep 20th: Adriana McCassim at Healing Force of the Universe. Doors at 7 p.m.
You can read my Song Spotlight (Sep 2026) for her song "Rust" here.

Sunday, Sep 20th: The Blushes at the Lodge Room. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight (Aug 2025) for their song "Sex Cult Party" here.

Tuesday, Sep 22nd: talker at Oblivion. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight (Apr 2026) for her song "Gold Rush" here.

Wednesday, Sep 23rd: Jesse Detor at The Airliner Bar. Doors at 8 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight (Jun 2026) for "Hands" here.

Thursday, Sep 24th: Jesika Von Rabbit at Gold-Diggers. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight (Oct 2024) for her song "Psychic Spice" here.

Thursday, Sep 24th: Mineral King at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight (April 2025) for their song "Threadbare" here.

Friday, Sep 25th: Swimming Bell at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight (Jun 2025) for her song "95 at Night" here. 

Friday, Sep 25th: The Silverados at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight (May 2026) for their song "The Public Opinion" here.

Song Spotlight: Mila Northrup's Space (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

With a sassy attitude, Mila Northrup took to the Hotel Ziggy stage for a WFNM showcase night. "How are you feeling? Good. You guys better not be silent when I ask questions." Her bio mentions that she's been writing songs since eight and loves being retro, "she grew up a little obsessed with eras she wasn't born into -- rotary phones, CD players, music that felt worn-in already -- and that never really went away." Someone who enjoys that moment in time where analog turned into digital. 

Mila Northrup at Hotel Ziggy

Echo Park Rising 2026: Sunday Chill

In many ways, Sunday at Echo Park Rising was far more chill for me than Saturday. This was helped by the fact that there were far fewer stages to visit -  though I was still attempting to visit some stages so that I could include them in my photos that I sent off to the festival organizers. Chill doesn't mean I wasn't catching a lot of bands; however. Instead of seeing 31 bands like I did on Saturday, it was reduced to 17 bands on Sunday. That is a lot, but it was less chaotic and I actually saw full sets for a number of bands.

 

Dyes at Echo Park Rising

Song Spotlight: Sonora Pines' TFM (an afternoon at Echo Park Rising, RAVEN's Gallery stage)

The RAVEN's Gallery was one of the smaller stages at Echo Park Rising, but big things come in small packages. On Sunday, the venue's schedule was closing it out with two bands that I've covered on this blog site: Ali Angel and Belle and Chain. I stopped by earlier in the day and was treated to the sounds of Sonora Pines. Per their website, the band is a "desert psych trio blending hypnotic psychedelia dream pop, and desert rock with a distinctly melancholic edge." 

Sonora Pines at Echo Park Rising

Echo Park Rising 2026: Saturday Brings the Heat

I was shooting Echo Park Rising for the festival so Saturday was jumping around from one stage to the other as I was trying to give some love to as many of the stages as possible. So do I remember much of anything? I do and I don't. I captured 31 bands and singer-songwriters. Is that crazy? The day started off at 12 noon and didn't end until around 10 p.m. I would have pushed it harder, but The Semi Tropic was so packed that I couldn't get in to see Harry Katz and The Pistachios (even with a photo pass). I made the assumption there and then that I wasn't getting in to see The Mainliners at The Echo and so I went home. (Earlier in the evening, I saw a line curved out nearly to the bank, waiting to get into The Echo.)

Supershrew at Echo Park Rising

Song Spotlight: Primer's A New Paradigm (a night at Echo Park Rising, Sticky Rice stage)

I first crossed paths with Primer (moniker for Alyssa Midcalf) back in 2022. I was immediately captured by her synth driven music. In 2024, I covered her Round and Round EP release party for US Rocker Music. When the Sticky Rice schedule posted for Echo Park Rising, I was thrilled to find the band on the schedule. Since this is my final dedicated Echo Park Rising post that highlights a band playing the Sticky Rice stage, I should say: of course, the Sticky Rice stage was awesome throughout the festival considering that Make Out Music booked the stage. Sticky Rice knows how to select the perfect indie promoters who have their ears to the ground of the Los Angeles music scene. Last year, they had Rocknite book the weekend. 

Primer at Echo Park Rising

Song Spotlight: Adriana McCassim's Rust (an evening at Echo Park Rising, Sticky Rice stage)

Adriana McCassim was one of the artists playing Echo Park Rising that I circled. Even though I was attempting to photograph as many bands / singers as possible on Saturday as I was one of the official festival photographers, there were a handful of bands / singers that I intended to see their full sets. So I got to Sticky Rice (Spirit Indoor stage) when she was setting up and stayed until the final notes. The reason I wanted to catch a full set was that way too much time had passed since I last saw a set and that was simply not acceptable. 

Adriana McCassim at Echo Park Rising

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Sep 13th - Sep 19th

A Handful (Bucketful) of Show Alerts

Sunday, Sep 13th: Annie Jets at Non Plus Ultra. Doors at 7 p.m.

I wrote a Song Spotlight for their song "Avalanche" back in 2025.

Sunday, Sep 13th: essencer at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

I wrote a Song Spotlight for their song "So Long" back in March.

Sunday, Sep 13th: Stephanie Wittmer at The Echo. Doors at 5:30 p.m.

I wrote a Song Spotlight for her song "Texas Is Haunted" back in July.

Monday, Sep 14th: The Sleeperz at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.

The band made my 2024 list of favorite new finds.

Tuesday, Sep 15th: OP ED at Club Tee Gee. Doors at 8 p.m.

The band made my 2025 list of favorite new finds.

Tuesday, Sep 15th: Valley Porno People at The Airliner Bar. Doors at 7 p.m.

The band made my 2024 list of favorite new finds.

Wednesday, Sep 16th: Mingko at The Airliner Bar. Doors at 8 p.m.

I wrote a Song Spotlight to their song "Get A Job" back in May.

Thursday, Sep 17th: June Swoon at The Airliner Bar. Doors at 7 p.m.

I wrote a Song Spotlight to their song "Denver" back in March.

Friday, Sep 18th: Leroy From The North at the Bigfoot Lodge. Doors at 8 p.m.

Earlier this year, I wrote a review of his record release party. 

Friday, Sep 18th: Sierra Levesque at The Viper Room. Doors at 6:30 p.m.

I wrote a Song Spotlight for her song "U Are My Drug" back in 2025.

Saturday, Sep 19th: UGHH at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

In 2025, I wrote a review of their set.

Song Spotlight: Family Cash's Funny (an afternoon at Echo Park Rising, Bar Henry stage)

I had a random encounter with Josh Beavers as I was walking past the KG Bakery stage -- I was just starting off my Saturday at Echo Park Rising. First, he suggested that I catch Supershrew who was just about to start their set. He then said I should catch his band Family Cash at Bar Henry. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the band was playing the festival, because I had created a schedule of the festival and did not notice that the band was playing anywhere. He mentioned that a band had dropped out and they were taking the slot. I replied that I would do my best to get up to Bar Henry. 

Family Cash at Echo Park Rising

Song Spotlight: Polartropica's Shiny Things (an afternoon at Echo Park Rising, KG Bakery stage)

It was Saturday in Echo Park and Polartropica (moniker for Ihui Cherise Wu) was closing out Echo Park Rising's KG Bakery stage. The stage was outdoors and the temperature was hitting 97. That had Wu telling the kids in the crowd, "You can swim in the pool, if you want." The stage was in the parking lot and someone took the initiative to decorate it up with inflatable palm trees and a kid's pool. 

Polartropica at Echo Park Rising