(10.15.06) A month later and decompression has finally set in.
It’s somewhat difficult to describe the vast amount of musical experiences one can consume during Decibel Festival, the third annual electronic music gathering situated in the cozy yet expansive city of Seattle, Washington (Sept. 14-17, 2006). This being my first visit to Decibel (as well as Seattle, for that matter) and as a sponsor, let it be known that my expectations were set quite high and the DB crew certainly offered more than I could have ever imagined. Sure it may be slightly biased to recognize such an organization having been affiliated with one of the largest electronic music festivals on the West Coast, but as an avid listener to all things under-appreciated, it is crucial to note that the Decibel staff have a good ear and an even bigger heart in making such an event happen. Decibel is about the union of musicians and audiences forming a solid, awe-inspired and satisfying festival; and that they did. From the press-materials straight through to the shows, Decibel is nothing short of pure eclectic. A quick glance at the press-release would indicate that they’re in over their heads with such a showcase; truth be known –they weren’t.
From the relentless techno-dub of Thomas Fehlmann (which took place, oddly enough, in the Broadway Performance Hall) to Apparat‘s electro-blasts at Neumos, time was of the essence during all the happenings as it was difficult not to miss something going on just down the street, down a couple blocks or in an adjacent room. Deru‘s impeccable ambient-glitch set was nothing short of brilliant as visuals surrounded his sound with substantial grace. Let’s Go Outside displayed fractured breaks and tormented electro in the Bad Juju Lounge tucked away conveniently next to Neumos. Taylor Deupree and Richard Chartier mapped minimalist territory with delicate clicks ruffling over (accidental, yet somehow amusing) interference from radio frequencies near Seattle’s Space Needle. Telefon Tel Aviv spiced a massive crowd at Neumos with their sonic assault of powerful bass and beats glued with a melodic punch. Bola, one of the acts I highly anticipated, didn’t prove as satisfying as expected. The tracks he performed sounded overly saturated with in-studio qualities rather than going the route of, say, a live set. Tucked away behind the stage, Bola‘s presence remained secluded behind two large visual screens synchronized to the brain-numbing rhythms. As far as pure audio-visual is concerned, one Ryoichi Kurokawa sparked the ears and eyes with electronic fury as the seated attendants in the Broadway Performance Hall received mind-shattering digital sounds cemented with astounding visual fractures; a spectacle not to be forgotten. The Dead Texan and Murcof minimized their pleasantly growing sounds, displaying heart-drenching 
ambient propulsion and nostalgic reflection. Static delighted the mind with shoe-gazer electro pop and downright emotional content just before the genre-less explosions of Subtle took stage to mold hip-hop with punk, acoustics to dense lyrical splashes and redefining the extents of experimentation at Chop Suey.
Sure, there’s a lot to write about when it comes to such an intense festival; too many musicians have not even been mentioned! But it was the mood, attitude and rhythm of each attended event that made it worthwhile; each showcase a significant snapshot of electronic music and its current flow of inventive sub-genres. Finding such a group of innovators and sound creators doesn’t happen too often, but when it’s combined with genuine passion and a groove that doesn’t falter, you get the makings of great a festival. Though there are some downsides to such a massive collection of audio and visual manifests, such as trying to capture every show (simultaneously), it’s where you wind up that makes the stay so impressive. Whether it’s the intimate and versatile aspects of the Broadway Performance Hall seating approximately 300 or the dancier, upbeat events that took place at Neumos, Chop Suey, The Baltic Room, Bad Juju Lounge and Barca –Decibel Festival proves that you can offer maximum exposure to unprecedented talent in a multitude of places, often at the same time, and to large audiences who come from across the globe to consume it properly.
Writing about Decibel doesn’t make too much sense unless you have a team of 10+ personnel scoping every show, visiting every club, consuming every drop of coffee, digesting every record shop, delving into every of mom-and-pop eatery or visiting every art-gallery; and even if you couldn’t do everything you intended to, it may be wise to simply make the best of it while you’re there. In other words, make a conscious effort to visit each year so you can grasp what Seattle really has to offer via Decibel Festival. I’m glad to have held on to my copy of the informative (82-page!) program booklet just so I can reminisce about the number of showcases I actually attended and to wonder about the ones I (unfortunately) missed. The Decibel staff have proposed archiving all the shows via streams on their website, so one can only hope to hear it all at some point in time.
See you next year.
For more info about Decibel Festival, visit their website at dbfestival.com.
