On the heels of a successful first night for Industrafest, which brought performances by PIG and The Cocks to Houston industrial and electronic music fans, The New Beat and Past Present Productions are bringing another stellar lineup for the second night of the festival. The Saturday, October 1st show features performances by Underground Netwerk Intelligence, Clock DVA, and a long awaited return to Numbers by electronic music legends Meat Beat Manifesto.
Clock DVA has its early roots dating all the way back to the late '70s, when the band made experimental electronic music using early synthesizers and other unconventional techniques. The band has gone through several distinct phases of their long career, consistently releasing solid material, and winning over electronic music fans.
Meat Beat Manifesto has an almost 30-year history, and has experimented with many different musical elements over their career, influencing bands like Nine Inch Nails and others along the way. They have consistently pushed musical boundaries, creating some of electronic music's most interesting material since their formation in the late '80s.
Houston Press was fortunate to catch up with MBM founding member Jack Dangers, who was gracious enough to answer a few questions the upcoming show.
Houston Press: It's been a decade since Meat Beat Manifesto played in Houston, and even longer since the band performed at Numbers Night Club, are you looking forward to being back in Texas and playing shows here?
Jack Dangers: "Doesn't seem like it's been that long. I am definitely looking forward to playing Numbers again especially with Clock DVA."
Houston Press: Any memories of playing Numbers in the past?
Dangers: "Yes, it is always kind of a crazy venue with a ton of energy. One time there was a major mosh pit and we had to stop the show, because we were scared for the audience's safety. "
Houston Press: do you have any particularly good memories of Houston? It's always been a town with a large Industrial and electronic music following.
Dangers: "The venues are always packed with a ton of fans and you basically think you have seen a show with crazy fans, then you come to Houston and it has double-downed."
Houston Press: It seems like electronic music tends to change faster than other genres, possibly owing to changing technology. MBM has evolved a lot over the last 30 years, and should fans expect to hear music drawn from the band's long career?
Dangers: "Yes, the set will definitely have tracks from most of our releases. I also created videos for each of them with visuals that mean something to me, or have some sort of complementary meaning. We use video sampling live which allows for improvisation and new visuals to be integrated into our sets. I also try to insert relevant commentary on current events to connect the meaning of the tracks."
Houston Press: How has MBM changed since playing here last, and what should long time fans expect to experience at the upcoming show? What sort of stage show will we see at Numbers?
Dangers: "As I mentioned, we will be playing the tracks that people seem to connect with, video connected to the tracks and live video sampling to give additional layers."
Having experienced the first night of Industrafest a couple of weeks ago, I can attest to the fact that Numbers is the perfect venue for these types of events. Even with a large audience filling the club, both the house equipment and sound engineers did a great job, providing great sound quality throughout the night. This weekend's show promises to be one that Houston electronic music fans should consider mandatory, and with the doors opening at 8, people planning on attending are encouraged to show up early. The festival features a DJ set by Patrick Codenys of Front 242 and a performance by Houston's own Underground Netwerk Intelligence, who open at 9 - they are one of the city's best local electronic bands, so don't be late.
A special perk for fans attending Industrafest 2 is The Forger, a Tour Only EP by MBM, that's only sold at the merch table.
The New Beat and Past Present Productions continue to bring the finest electronic music concerts to Houston, and they clearly know how to pull off these types of events with style. Tickets are still available through numbersnightclub.com or for $30 at the door on Saturday.