Evening with Late Aster and Elbows

Situated somewhere between post-bop jazz, electronica, and chamber pop, San Francisco-based Late Aster’s music has been described as producing “unprecedented sounds” (SF Chronicle) that “on paper [] shouldn’t work, but it does.” (Tape-Op) Their two previous releases, EPs “True and Toxic” (2021) and “Light Rail Session” (2023), articulate a kaleidoscopic theory of music grounded in the electronic processing of trumpet and French horn and supported by meticulous songwriting, instrumentation, and sound-sculpting.

Late Aster’s recently released album, City Livin’, finds the group channeling their genre-bending sound through the vintage TASCAM Portastudio 414 MKII – a true do-it-yourself cassette recorder/mixer from the late 90s. The album whirrs through house, trap, and hip-hop beats as the foundation for the group’s distinctive and soulful performances of fx-pedal brass, vocals, and dark synths. Made up of ten impressionist sketches, City Livin’ is a nod to the “lo-fi beats” genre and to trumpet player/composer/producer Aaron Messing’s day job as an environmental attorney. With inspiration from jazz, alt-rock, and folk, the album is a journey through other-wordly, urban soundscapes featuring fully instrumental performances, a cover of “Miss Ohio” as a love letter to Gillian Welch, and the poetic sampling of Alan Watts’ voice.

Late Aster currently performs as a trio featuring brass/electronicists Aaron Messing and Anni Hochhalter and drummer Mike Mitchell, integrating the electronic and physical elements of their recordings in a synchronized dance with their array of instruments and each other. The visual result resembles an analogue electronic DJ set, but with live instrumental performances.

https://lateaster.com/
https://www.instagram.com/late.aster/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXxDZ2dGzoeeZWBT6HCOYfg
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2hgrsIagdceAwYCyOSB2BY

Inspired by a year mired in tragedy, Elbows returns with a new sound, a new live band, and a new album in tow. On his upcoming sophomore release, the San Francisco-based songwriter/singer/producer also known as Max Schieble sheds the maximalism of his 2021 debut in favor of a softer sound inspired by 70s tropicália, coastal psychedelia, and the American folk tradition. Songs are built on fluttering classical guitar arpeggios, and colored by synthetic choirs, sparse percussion, and electro-mechanical tape loops. Schieble’s voice takes center stage as his personal accounts of death, marriage, and family ties interweave with characters and symbols from timeless folklore and fables.

In 2021 Elbows released his debut album, ‘Tales From the Old Mill’ (EveryDejaVu Records), a dark, psychedelic and orchestral project chronicling Schieble’s coming of age experience in the Bay Area. The album, “at once both spooky and whimsical” (Spill Magazine), received support from BBC, KEXP, Bandcamp, and IMPOSE Magazine. Elbows has performed live throughout North America, including at the annual Bay Area Noise Pop Festival in 2023, and has appeared with Grammy Award winner Natalia Lafourcade, Nick Hakim, L’Rain, and BENEE.
https://www.heyelbows.com/
https://www.instagram.com/heyelbows/
‘Tales From The Old Mill’ album stream: https://heyelbows.ffm.to/tales-from-the-old-mill
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3FWgOxvFgwpNofTTeqDkeo?si=IB4Bl-rHSLiFAlpLzSbRbQ
https://www.youtube.com/@heyelbows
“Corduroy” Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdNhKtj21E8&list=RDLdNhKtj21E8&start_radio=1

Recommended if you like:
Elbows – Elliott Smith, Jessica Pratt, Nick Hakim, Vampire Weekend
Late Aster – Son Lux, Tigran Hamasyan, Louis Cole (KNOWER)