When you consider the bumping New York club life, the glitz of Los Angeles, and the massive electro culture of Europe, Michigan, with our cars and Motown sound, might not be the first that comes to mind when it comes to electronic music. While the Motor City welcomes electronic artists from around the country and the world to the awesomeness that is Movement (DEMF or whatever), it's always cool when some of our own help prove that there's more than just the sound of revving engines in the Mitten.
One in particular is a guy out of Dearborn by the name of Louis George. George has been honing his craft as an independent electronic artist since 2008. At the age of 24, he has a growing local following through social media, his solo project, A Slip of the Knife (ASOTK), and a collaboration with local vocalist Meara Thierry called Bright Lights and Fancy Footwork, whose eponymous first album is being mastered now in California.
Though big things might await, George says his focus is on the present, taking it one step at a time as he and Thierry wait for their first album to be released.
"We haven't played any [shows] yet," George says. "We have the equipment to do it, but we're just waiting to get the physical CD out. We want something to give, or have something for people to download, so we're not just going to a show empty-handed, or with just T-shirts."
For now, they do what they do for the love of creating music.
George's sound is an adventure in and of itself. Each track seems to have its own unique personality, with its own fluctuating emotions. "MOAR" begins like an epic Mortal Kombat caliber showdown is about to take place, then all of a sudden drops into slow motion over Thierry's dreamy vocals. "Breaking Ice (Extended)" winds up through a swinging glitch intro, then hits and explodes on impact with a fierce, hyperactive chorus. "NOVA" sounds like an ice cream truck bopping happily through the Rainbow Road level of Mario Kart.
Besides incorporating program-generated sounds and conventional instruments, George is also fond of sampling the sounds of everyday objects and using them in his music.
"I'll just record ... a lot of simple things like flicking a pop can, and I'm like, 'Oh, that's sweet!'" says George. "That can be a whole synth part for the back of a song."
When producing tracks, George basically lives in the moment. He says that he'll frequently change up what he's working on and go in whatever direction they take him, a practice that reflects his eccentric nature and the spontaneous style of his sound.
In addition to the music, George also creates all the primary artwork for ASOTK and Bright Lights and Fancy Footwork. Though more recently, he's begun to receive logo artwork submissions from fans on DeviantArt.
Despite all this talent, George remains humble, saying that he's most motivated by his audience.
"Mostly my inspiration is anyone who shows interest in what I do, anyone who's like 'Oh, that's cool!' or 'Man, I want that MP3!' or something," he says, "It's the feeling of seeing people wear a T-shirt that I designed for something that I'm doing — that's an awesome feeling."
ASOTK and Bright Lights and Fancy Footwork can be found on Facebook. Tracks from both projects are also available to listen to on Soundcloud, and will soon be available for download.
