February 28, 2020
Doors at 7:30. Music at 8.
OSCILLATIONS presents Caesar Gorgeous and n/shrike, two artists pushing the boundaries of experimental rap, avant pop, and influential contemporary genres. Caesar Gorgeous plays tracks from his album Perceptions. n/shrike performs a set of dark electronic music driven by automation, voice, and programming akin to Jenny Hval, FKA Twigs and Meredith Monk.
Caesar Gorgeous is a Chicago-based rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer. Working in tandem with producer and engineer, J. Khaga, Caesar blends catchy melodies and layered rhymes to pioneer the next evolution in the hip-hop soundscape. For his Oscillations performance, Gorgeous will perform selected tracks from his debut album Perception.
Invoking thunderstorm, n/shrike AKA Stevie Stevens cuts air with mouthfuls of poetic lyricism backed by fits of organized noise. Visually-stimulated sound pieces that call for forceful movement are balanced by more ambient songs for thoughtful rest. Unbridled by her electronic footprint, n/shrike performs alongside cued loops, samples and drum pads, accompanied by dance and additional vocalists.
Artist Bios:
McCoy Crawford is a Chicago-based musical artist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Performing under the moniker of Caesar Gorgeous, McCoy works frequently with fellow producer and engineer, J. Khaga. As Caesar Gorgeous, McCoy Crawford blends catchy melodies and layered rhymes to pioneer the next evolution in the hip-hop soundscape. After receiving his BFA in architecture and sound design from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, McCoy released his debut musical project, Perception, through his She So Gorgeous, LLC. Following the release of Perception, McCoy was named a semi-finalist for the 2019 International Songwriting Competition and a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition.
n/shrike is the debut project of multi-faceted performance artist, Stevie Stevens. Hailing from Columbus, Ohio and based in Chicago, n/shrike hatched from a necessity: the unbosomed creator. A blackhole of movement iterations and vocally robust performances, n/shrike is interested in the automation and programming of voice, the (often-unscripted) intersection of movement and sound, and the space of experimentation computer processes allow her voice and writing. If wanting, file next to Jenny Hval, FKA Twigs and Meredith Monk.