Travis Thatcher wants you to dance. Not to Top 40, dubstep, salsa or hip-hop. Not to bluegrass or trance or even swing. He wants you to dance to electronic music. And as an electronic musician performing as the Voice of Saturn for the past 10 years, Thatcher has the chops—and the synthesizers—to get you moving.
While studying computer science at Georgia Tech, Thatcher got involved with the university’s then-new computer music program for his master’s degree. After finishing school, he recalls, “I did some teaching, built hardwood floors, had programming jobs, was a keyboard tech for Wilco and lived in New York and Chicago before moving here last July.” Prior to making the move, Thatcher’s only visit to Charlottesville came while on tour with Wilco when the band played the nTelos Wireless Pavilion in 2012. However, upon accepting a dream job as the technical director of UVA’s music department’s Virginia Center for Computer Music, Thatcher quickly immersed himself in the local music scene.
At VCCM, Thatcher assists researchers and classes with equipment and projects while also planning UVA music department events like the TechnoSonics festival. But he’s first and foremost a musician and enjoys experimenting first-hand with a variety of instruments.
“As a kid, my dad managed a music shop in addition to his making a living as a gigging musician,” Thatcher says. “I grew up around musical instruments and got to hang out at the shop in Northern Philadelphia and play. I was always drawn to synthesizers and drum machines but also grew up playing guitar and saxophone.” These diverse interests led him to pursue collaborations with fellow local musicians, including a new side project playing rock music, in addition to his solo electronic music.
Thatcher also builds and repairs synthesizers, maintaining his tinkerer’s instincts from adolescence amidst a sea of oscilloscopes, pedals and other musical gear in his home studio. “I got into building synthesizers initially by building some guitar pedals when I was around 16 or so,” he says. “Like many folks, I always loved taking apart electronic things and trying to put them back together, so it was just sort of a natural progression.”
He brings repair skills to his work at UVA as well, where he’s currently working to restore a rare ARP2500 monophonic analog modular synthesizer. Created to compete with the more popular Moog synthesizers of the time, the ARP2500 was produced in the 1970s and is an idiosyncratic technological marvel to behold. “It’s an amazing piece of history that sounds unlike anything else and I’m excited for more folks to be able to explore it,” says Thatcher.
Though finding a fulfilling professional and creative fit came easily for Thatcher, it wasn’t enough. “Since I’ve moved to Charlottesville, I’ve been interested in a night dedicated to live electronic music, as it seemed to be something that was missing,” he says. “My goal is to have a place where people can come to dance and to hear interesting electronic music from local acts as well as out-of-towners.”
After attending a goth dance party at Main Street Annex, he knew the venue was a match. “I thought the place was really well-suited for an electronic music show,” he says. “A few months later, I started talking to Jeyon [Falsini] about my idea [and] he was really receptive.”
Beginning on June 18, Thatcher will host a monthly electronic music night known as Frequencies at Main Street Annex. The inaugural event will feature a performance by Thatcher as well as local musicians Siamese Floater and Johnny Cretaceous. By combining local and touring talent, Thatcher says, “I think Charlottesville’s music scene can support something like this.”
Thatcher’s own electronic compositions and performances create a sound that is angular without being dissonant, utilizing drum machine beats and analog hums and squeals. His music has shape to it, the sounds creating and bending a dimensional space in the room as you listen. He admits that, “The Voice of Saturn tends to be different every time I play,” and indeed his live performances prove to be improvisational and experimental. Siamese Floater’s Alexander Tanson says “Making electronic music and being able to layer so many sounds is a really cool process and I find it a lot more expressive than just playing an instrument.” Frequencies will provide a regular venue for this type of experimentation and expression.
As a venue with a reputation for niche musical subgenres and smooth floors for dancing, Main Street Annex is a perfect fit for Frequencies. The Annex might be hosting frequent hip-hop shows, death metal bands or industrial dance parties, but for at least one night each month, electronic music will fill the room and get you on the dance floor.
The Voice of Saturn, Siamese Floater and Johnny Cretaceous will perform at Main Street Annex on June 18 and the second Frequencies event is already on the calendar for July 15, featuring local acts as well as musicians from Atlanta and Philadelphia.
What musical subculture would you like to see highlighted by a monthly event? Tell us in the comments.
