Mixel Pixel

by Jack Diablo
If day-glo tights, oversized spectacles, and assorted other ironic fashion accessories are your thing or if you simply can’t help but move your feet when you hear those synths scream and the bass drop, Mixel Pixel and the other bands that appeared at TSI on May 23rd would have blown your mind.
TSI doubles as a discotheque and live music venue. Most of the bands they feature fit the bill of electronic dance music but the bar does not limit itself to the genre. Their MySpace page boasts their booking as “the most interesting, catchy, hip, strange, confusing, energetic, and original acts out there.” And this lineup most definitely fit the bill.
Local psychedelic masters of their trade, After the Bomb Baby started things off. When ATBB play, you never know what to expect. Like a chameleon changes colors, the brothers Strasser tailor their performance to the occasion. When I saw them in Gainesville they had a drummer in tow not to mention a banjo and the sound was decidedly more indie. This type of performance seems to be the exception rather than the rule. At the TSI show they donned bright robes and manned their Korgs and guitar to pump out freaky danceable jams that demanded fitful cavorting of a post-apocalyptic nature. What is most admirable about this band is how they make music that is ridiculous at times and beautiful at others but always a lot of fun and never to be taken too seriously. Whatever style they bring, you can count on a good time experiencing something a little bit different.
Brooklyn-based band Mixel Pixel followed After the Bomb Baby with a stunning visual performance. Stationed behind a thin screen upon which a dizzying display of animation and video mash-ups was projected, they sampled video game loops to accompany their synthy experimental dance jams. What originally began as an experiment in home-recording has evolved into a full-fledged spectacle of aural and visual stimulation. Their shows are equally as bizarre and impressive as their videos including one animated by my favorite animator, Dan Meth, about the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. Even though the novelty of RPG-related music was most certainly lost on the hipster crowd, the energy was universal and the dance floor was awash in the fever of the beat. The great part about this trio’s show is that it can appeal to the new-disco terpsichorean as well as the wallflower. Whether you let the music penetrate your body and move your soles or simply sit back and force your brain to take in the visuals, there is something for you to enjoy.
Also featured was Orlando’s Yip-Yip. Dressed in two-tone uniforms they played Devo-inspired mania with an unrivaled intensity.
For a taste of something truly original, fun, and unique, be sure to check out the next show at TSI on June 5th featuring Tres Bien and Mumpsy. As a bonus, bands usually appear on Friday nights which means PBR for a penny until 11pm.
TSI – http://clubtsi.com
After the Bomb Baby – http://myspace.com/afterthebombbaby
Yip-Yip – http://myspace.com/yipyip
Mixel Pixel – http://myspace.com/mixelpixel