Night Heron, The Apricots, Shawna Pair performing at Mississippi Studios in Portland Oregon on May 24th 2024 at 8pm.

Portland Synthwave and synth pop acts playing march 7th 2024 at The Fixin To. Shawna Pair, Verbash, Auradev

Prinze George is a massive captivating collaboration of alternative pop music bands produced by first-rate multidimensional artists who take their fans on a blissful and energetic journey into the music world. The band has diligently constructed and cemented their place in the music landscape in an ocean of carbon-copy producers. They began their journey by creating a forward-thinking electronic to R&B and folk genres, influenced by a wide spectrum ranging from Indie pop to Vapor soul music. Portland Polaris Hall December 14 2023

Connection, creation, communication: twines in the golden musical thread made by new duo, Decisive Pink who are Angel Deradoorian (Dirty Projectors alumnus) and Kate NV, Russian experimental pop artist, on their debut album Ticket To Fame.

Ticket to Fame may sound like a grandiloquent title, but its provenance is anything but. The music confirms this: the beautiful electronic pop songs and sensitive instrumentals often point to the fact that life is a puzzle, but you can still get a lot from living it. It’s quicksilver essence is also in keeping with the duo’s decision to name the project after Wassily Kandinsky’s painting, ‘Decisive Pink’.

It seems clear their creative delineations and “a mutual sense of beauty and humour”, are combined with a canny understanding of each other’s character. Angel reflects on a writing process that was “very balanced, writing-wise. Usually we can quickly fall into a writing flow and just jam together. The songs transpire swiftly.” Kate NV acknowledges the pair are “very different”, with strong sides to their characters. Kate NV is the main producer and arranger on the album, with Angel’s input. And Angel is the main lyricist – with Kate’s input.

Recorded at a mutual friend’s studio in Köln, which boasts an extensive collection of analogue synthesisers: “a spaceship,” according to Kate. Angel: “It was very exciting to step into the ‘synth- dome’ as I think of it. I can’t remember all the synths we used, but definitely one of the Prophets, a modular, a Juno, a Jupiter, a Rodeo, a synth with a bee on it and some synth from the 1980s that Kate knew about.” The pair continued working in Angel’s downtown LA rehearsal space with vocals were recorded in an apartment closet; a process which Kate loved, due to its intimacy.

Ticket To Fame presents a number of themes, one is how we communicate in these uncertain times. Some tracks bring to mind solving a crossword puzzle: answering clues, in order to make sense to one another. ‘What Where’ – a wry examination of how we transmit and receive information – is a good example. It immediately creates a sense of mystery; the marimba-esque synth pattern and tinkle of bells suggests we have entered a secret room, maybe to have our fortunes read.

More vocal trickery is served up with ‘Voice Message’ where we hear voices messaging each other, but not a word is used. A simple trick, but doled out with a card shark’s sleight of hand. Then there is ‘Potato Tomato’, a bass-led skank that gently lampoons George and Ira Gershwin’s ‘Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off’. The women revel in the differences of pronunciation, laughing at the absurd fun to be had in everyday words.

Sit Pretty, Shawna Pair, Red Candy at Turn! Turn! Turn! November 16th at 8pm. Electronic, synth pop, and dreamy shoegaze rock music.