“The Body Electric: Asheville’s Electronic Music Scene Evolves”

Hundreds of articles into my career at Xpress, it takes a special story to stand out for me. "The Body Electric" is that one for this past year. It's actually a three-part feature covering various aspects of the local electronica scene, and I was joined in the effort by writers Jake Frankel and Gabe Chess (an editorial intern at the time).

Working as part of a team was a fantastic experience; so was broadening my own horizons. The idea came out of a Facebook comment chain in which a number of local electronica artists were discussing the lack of press coverage they received. It made me want to educate myself about electronic music (it's a super-dense and expansive field with endless iterations and possibilities) and write about it. Funny to think that, back in March, my knowledge was fairly limited. Since then, a number of electronic/analog bands have become favorites on my playlist and I went from scratching the surface of the local scene to interviewing international electronica heavy-hitters like Pretty Lights and Hot Chip prior to Moogfest.

Oh yeah — a mere seven months after "The Body Electric" published, three-day electronica extravaganza Moogfest debuted in Asheville. Coincidence? Great minds thinking alike? A concept whose time has come? Why not! — Alli Marshall, A&E reporter, fashion editor

“At first glance it might seem that Asheville is stacked in favor of roots music, what with a guitarist on every corner and an Americana band in every bar. But there's also much to suggest Asheville as an electronica hot bed, despite that scene's apparent underground status.

• Asheville's sound: Dubstep's been coming out of here for a solid amount of time. Psytrance, real loose, less aggressive, maybe. When I close my eyes and think about it I think liquid-y, dripping around the edges. Less edgy, more fluid, more. .. I don't want to be generic and say it, but more organic electronica. —Dave Hamilton (local electronic musician, Creative Director of the Moog Foundation)”

To view the full story, visit http://avl.mx/19

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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