Synth-wave and electronica veterans Com Truise and Clark continued their 2017 co-headlining tour at the simple yet effectively-decorated WOW Hall on Sunday night in an impressively cool fashion.
With no opener necessary, Clark’s dissonant, bass-heavy tracks set the tone for the show and energized the beginning crowd of about 80 people. While keeping his set focused on his newest release, “Death Peak,” Clark also performed a few songs from different points in his prolific catalog.
Clark (Flickr Creative Commons)
On both sides of the DJ table, Clark was accompanied by 6-foot-tall metal frames lined with LED lights that were synchronized to the beats and kicks of the music. The lighting techniques enhanced the lively, stimulating vibe of the event. Songs like the bouncy “Butterfly Prowler,” the striking, fast-paced “Unfurla” and the distorted synths of “Hoova” sparked mass head-bobbing and body-bouncing.
Clark’s industrialized techno-electronica rocked the venue for about 50 minutes, reaching its high point near the end of the set with a slick remix of Mariah Carey’s “Shake It Off” featuring crunchy synths, deep bass and tasteful lighting tricks. Clark then ended his streak of neckbreakers and used the slower sounds of his newest album’s closer, “Un U.K.,” to finish his set, giving a gesture of thanks — the only time Clark explicitly addressed the crowd.
After a 15-minute intermission, including a stage design change and an influx of around 30 more people, Com Truise took the stage. Considering the crowd’s palpable anticipation of his set, it was certain that his synthy grooves were the main attraction of the event. While the DJ table was still utilized, the metal frames were removed in favor of six 4-foot electric panels capable of greater visual expression: Cityscapes, fluorescent moons breaking surface waters and abstract shapes and colors were some designs that were paired with their own respective songs.
Com Truise commenced his set with “Norkuy,” off the “Cyanide Sisters EP,” immediately showing differences between him and his stage predecessor. Com Truise’s style was more accurately described as synth-wave, as opposed to electronica. Following “Norkuy,” Truise also included in his set some of his best-known tracks: “VHS Sex”, “Open”, “Subsonic” and “Diffraction,” some of which would receive cheers of gratitude from the crowd in the opening seconds of the songs.
When Truise reached for the mic, the set took a turn for the greater. After having his mic turned on, Seth Haley cracked a joke and thanked everyone for being there — he then announced to us that he was about to play a few songs from his upcoming album “Iteration”. The first song was a wavy, synth-driven tune featuring a charming voice-box effect. The second song was titled “Isostasy” and furthered expectations of “Iteration” as being the potent synth-wave sound that creates Com Truise fans.
Finally, he ended with the single, “Memory” which is energetic and catchy enough to be both the single and the set closer. After the final track concluded, he gave another thanks to the crowd and in response received a generous ovation.
The show seemed to be an equally enjoyable event for the Eugene community as it was for the performers. Clark, having released his album earlier this year, created public excitement with his gritty electronic sounds. Meanwhile, Com Truise’s album is currently set to be released on June 16 of this year; after his crowd-favoring performance, the anticipation for “Iteration” will likely continue to grow.
Check out our coverage of Kehlani, Ella Mai and Jahkoy at WOW Hall
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