This Fall, Dead Audio hosts EXPANSION, Lexington’s Psych Rock Music Festival taking place at Al’s Bar (9/14) and The Burl and The Burl Arcade (9/15). In anticipation, we are shining the spotlight on each performer on the lineup to give you a preview of what you can expect from the festival’s acts. 1 and 2-day passes are on sale now here.

TTOTALS

Based in Nashville, TTOTALS uses blues music as a launch pad to explore a blend of the traditional and experimental which they call The Outer Blues. The result is psychedelic rock that is dense with buzzing drones and heavy with primal drumming. Its a sound crafted by band leader Brian Miles in the dark days before the extreme availability of music that now exists with streaming sites and widespread accessibility of everything ever recorded. These were times when a seeker of rock had to rely on ‘Zine culture and record store evangelism to define their sound/interests. Miles’ persistence in the underground is what led to TTOTALS developing a singular identity in the flourishing independent rock scene.

As one of Nashville’s most venerable psychedelic bands, TTOTALS have been stoically ensuring that the Psych Rock genre remains relevant in Music City for the better part of a decade. Conceived out of a desire to bring avant garde principles to psychedelic music, Nashville’s pioneering sonic institution ​TTOTALS​ returned last week with SKYVIEW DRIVE – the long-awaited, ten-track album advancing their cavernous, primitive sound to a more melodic and dynamic experience.

SKYVIEW DRIVE is the band’s most melodic and focused record to date. The songs are dense with experimental textures and grooving riffs that manifest with dark recesses as well as sparkling pinnacles. Though it is a transitional album for the group, as its membership has morphed into its present incarnation, there are lines that can be traced from its past, through this album, and on to the worlds of sound yet to be mapped by these rock and roll seekers.

Ttotals will perform on Saturday, Sept. 15 at The Burl. Their set will feature far-out visuals by Silver Cord Cinema, one of the nation’s premier analog liquid light show operators. Dive into SKYVIEW DRIVE now!

For fans of: Holy Wave, Moses Gun Collective, The Confederate Dead

Silver Cord Cinema (visual artist)

Before lasers and high-end lighting rigs were industry standard, psychedelic musicians relied on skilled liquid light projector operators to provide a unique, trippy aesthetic to their live shows. While this technique is largely a lost art these days, there are a handful of talented light operators reviving the skill.

Visual artist Silver Cord Cinema is one of the premier analog liquid light shows in the world. Their organic visuals and experimental light shows are created by hand, in real time. The husband and wife duo work all 5 projectors at once – 2 overhead projectors and 3 Optikinetics projectors – to do the hands-on liquid lights to the music. Classic analog elements like colored oils and overhead projectors are blended with modern technology to create the trippy, bubbly effects.

On Saturday, Sept. 15, Silver Cord Cinemas will be on-site at The Burl to provide a wild light show for their Nashville pals, TTOTALS, before setting up in The Burl Arcade to create a visual liquid tapestry art installation for the remainder of the night. So grab a beer, some quarters and hit the pinball machines for a light show like you’ve never seen before!

For a peek at what SCC adds to a live show, check out what they recently did for the band Prettiest Eyes, it’s wild!

For fans of: 60’s & 70’s psychedelic aesthetic, The Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show