“Hourglass” – S U R V I V E
Known in the Unknown
After being invited to Levitation Fest, I immediately checked the line-up and began to listen to all the artists I’d never heard of before. S U R V I V E (Survive) was one of the first groups I sampled and the sound was strikingly familiar! I couldn’t figure out why I felt that I’d heard their sound before until I did some research. Low and behold.. this is the same group that created the infamous “Stranger Things” theme song.
Photo by: Ansley Lee
Synthesizer Live Sounds
SURVIVE is an experimental synth band from Austin, Texas that has been making music since 2009. Their music has a dark and retro outer space age sound that you can easily identify. I personally have no idea how synthesizers work or what it takes to operate them. However while I gave SURVIVE a listen in preparation for this festival, I wasn’t imagining what their live set would be like. I personally just kept thinking about the experience of hearing their type of music live. It’s interesting that with this type of electronic genre, it’s more about the experience the band or artist provides while listening. Survive could easily hit play on a sound system but that’s not what SURVIVE does.
The four men of SURVIVE performed live on stage operating their synthesizers. Their set featured a light show and psychedelic visuals that corresponded with their music. As an audience member whose never been to a synth concert, I can say it was cool to be around people who were there to listen more than watch. I tried to edit their live performance in a way I felt reflected their music as best as possible. Having the opportunity to see SURVIVE live was something I’ll never forget. If you’ve never listened to any of their music besides the Stranger Things soundtrack, please give SURVIVE a listen. “Omniverse” and “High Rise” are probably my two favorite tracks if you want to give them a try.