Friday 24 May
 
 

IndianGiver — Plafond EP

If you were to peruse the “About” section of IndianGiver’s Facebook page, you’ll notice how the instruments attributed to each of the Oklahoma City band’s five members are described with downright flippancy: Dylan Jordan plays “sticks & animal skins,” while Jazzton Rodriguez earns his keep with “shanties & loud noises,” and so on.
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Various artists — Never Give Up: Celebrating 10 Years of The Postal Service

Few indie bands have had the impact on current music that The Postal Service has. Even fewer have done so with only one album.
05/15/2013 | Comments 0

Big Worm — Bench All-Stars

Fans of the comedy classic Friday may recognize the name Big Worm, but the Big Worm behind Bench All-Stars is rooted not in South Central L.A., but on the streets of Oklahoma City.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0

Code 22 — Going Soft: The Acoustic Album!

The guys of Oklahoma City’s Code 22 seem like a likable group of fellas. Their latest release, Going Soft: The Acoustic Album!, is likable enough as well — so likable that on first listen, I took its clean, acoustic sound and clear, unstressed vocals as an alternative praise-and-worship band.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0

Eureeka — Polysynthetic Fields

It’s always refreshing to hear music that embraces its own eccentricity, yet presents it in an accessible and meek fashion. Eureeka — the Norman-based duo of Jordan Vargas and Devin Wahl — has tapped into this rarified air on its self-released EP, Polysynthetic Fields.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0
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Music

Local gem


With laser focus, Crystal Vision aims to remix the city sound scene into one more open to electronic music’s aural array.

Joshua Boydston May 2nd, 2012  

Crystal Vision with EOTO
9 p.m. Sunday
Will Rogers Theatre
4322 N. Western
willrogerstheatre.com
604-3015
$15-$30

Brandon Bales

While most DJs work alone — think Skrillex, Deadmau5, Fatboy Slim — two heads have proven better than one for Oklahoma City electro act Crystal Vision.

“It definitely helps when one of us is stuck. The other one always has an idea,” said Katie Wicks. “The joys of being a duo are that we can be two places at once.”

Both Wicks and partner Bryan Peace worked in different avenues of electronic music before pairing as Crystal Vision in 2009. The years since have found them producing original tracks, remixing the likes of TV on the Radio and Yeasayer, and adding their plugged-in touch to the cuts of local dance outfit Chrome Pony.

Despite a common, if misguided, belief than Peace does the bulk of the work, the duo is a true collaborative effort.

“We get a lot of people thinking that Katie is the face and that I just sit at home doing all the work and writing all the music,” he said. “They don’t realize it’s both of us sitting there, doing all of it together. Any kind of music, people don’t see girls as being talented and able to write music.”

Added Wicks, “You’d be surprised to see how many people think that. They never see us behind closed doors.”

The tandem arrangement helps with not only creative efforts, but logistical ones, prodding one another to work and perform as much as possible.

“If you’re alone, you can kind of talk yourself out of doing things, some of which can be big opportunities,” Wicks said. “When you’ve got the other one saying, ‘No, we have to,’ it’s like having a physical conscience.”

That ethic has helped Crystal Vision — along with fellow locals like Kids at the Bar, Ed Crunk and Gosteffects — build a thumping electronic scene here to match the national one that has emerged over the past few years. The twosome spins weekly at Kamp’s Robotic Wednesdays showcase and has started taking its act on the road, with dates in California and Costa Rica this summer, and Europe in the near future.

Sunday’s show at Will Rogers aside, Crystal Vision’s focus presently is centered on finishing some original material and visually amping its live set. Although the band parties hard, it works harder.

“I don’t think the [Robotic] crowd really always realizes what we do,” Peace said. “They think we are just some kids throwing a party, not really grasping the full situation.”

Added Wicks, “There’s so much we do before those doors open and after they close. We’re always putting in our time and energy. It’s a 24-hour job.”

Hey! Read This:
Chrome Pony feature
Kids at the Bar feature

 
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