IOW: Whole lotta HarsH 2 B had
In the Links segment of today’s C-U Biz-en-scène column we gave props to Matt HarsH, who tells CUBlog he’s embarking on a new series of music video projects after pouring most of his recent energies into club shows and live taping. (Both are prevalent in the bulk of his YouTube channel uploads.) First out the gate is a charming collaboration with Sam Ambler for the song “Lovesick,” performed by Urbana acoustic troubadour Morgan Orion, which made its on-line premiere last month:
It hardly means he’ll scale back on the live gigs, especially where he can flex his creativity. On December 9, HarsH helped arrange “a night of electronic and experimental music” at Mike ‘n Molly’s in downtown Champaign, which featured live performances by Anna Karina, Blueprints for a Future Technology, Forgottonia Secedes, Kirkwood West, and Psychic Twin along with a real-time video installation. We didn’t get to experience it firsthand but we can point you to the following example of HarsH’s multimedia environments, which illustrated Smile Politely’s coverage of the December show. This previous cornucopia, staged at The Highdive in 2008, is called “RHXQ” and involves video projection, hanging sheets, vocalist Jonah from Blueprints…, and backing duo Kristov’s Agenda:
HarsH occasionally sets up similar installations in venues like the Urbana Independent Media Center and Champaign’s Café Luna when not booking and promoting an arsenal of hip-hop, dubstep, and turntablist events throughout Illinois and Missouri. These include the down tempo Chillax gigs, the rambunctious Dubstep Massacres, the massive Wolf Pack showcases in league with the Chicago label of the same name, and the Common Mind extravaganzas combining the forces of music, visual, and media artists.
~ Jason Pankoke