DJ Penny Royal is in the captain’s chair for KALX Live! on Saturday, May 24th. She’ll be hosting Oakland duo Agnes Martian.
Benjamin Rodgers (bass, synthesizers) and Zekarias Thompson (sax, electronics) started Agnes Martian in 2019 as a weekly ritual of unbounded musical experimentation, drawing from a large pool of collaborators in pursuit of new sonic possibilities; the band has so far released two albums. Their first release, ‘The Future Light Cone’ (Altered States, 2022), oscillates between long-format meditation and propulsive groove and features NY-based poet gideon hart and drums by Icelandic composer Pétur Eggertson; ‘Coincidence’ (Centripetal Force/Transitory Tapes/Working Name Studios, 2024) is a collection of free form improvisations recorded with Music for Connection, Laraaji, and Hair and Space Museum. Since 2023 they have been joined by Phillip Laurent (synthesizers) for a series of performances that have investigated the possibility of live quadraphonic sound to shift the perspectives of both the performer and the audience member and to direct attention to the sculptural presence of sound in space. Devon Ferrucci (drums) will join Rodgers, Thompson, and Laurent for this live in-studio performance showcasing Agnes Martian’s distinctive blend of pulsing drone, trance-like minimalism, and uninhibited live improvisation.
