If dance music always finds its best self among the flashing lights and charged up audiences of live venues, Robert DeLong might as well move in permanently.
Taking advantage of a multitude of futuristic electronic equipment, this Seattle native knows how to suspend his audience somewhere between the ambiguity of the cosmos and the coordination of earth — at least for the duration of his show.
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Deriving inspiration from Pink Floyd, Death Cab for Cutie and Radiohead among others, DeLong’s influences don’t seem to culminate into dance music.
But the originality of bands like Pink Floyd and Radiohead have encouraged DeLong to think differently, like the addition of off-key tones and syncopation that separate his music from generic electro-pop.
Many don’t realize that creating danceable music only scratches the surface of Robert DeLong’s work — his live performances especially help to tell his whole story.
DeLong prides himself on riding the line of creating accessible, yet eclectic music that his live shows serve to highlight. But while it’s common practice for electronic artists to take a barrage of tech instruments to the stage, DeLong goes a bit further — he amplifies his performances with remote control steering wheels, Wii remotes and retro joysticks.
To alter his sound, DeLong has transformed video game controllers into MIDI remotes, and raises and lowers his pitch by octaves with the touch of a joystick.
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“To me, it’s fun — we all grew up playing video games,” DeLong said. “The interface is so much more natural for me than playing a keyboard. I’ve always been super interested in tech.”
While some artists tend to exploit the use of technology, cramming it down the throats of the audience, DeLong’s live performances reflect an appreciation and understanding of what technology adds to a live performance. Cameras set to various angles will surround DeLong on stage, allowing the audience to view the intricacies of his show cast onto a jumbo TV screen.
“It’s a one man experience and I’m always doing something new,” DeLong said.
But his intrigue is not just for the stage — he brings his eccentricity to the studio to create these extraordinary cuts.
On his new album In The Cards, Delong spans house and funk to construct creative electro-pop music. DeLong throws a number of curveballs with unusual loud drum hits, off-placed, yet banging synths and unexpected breaks.
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DeLong’s indie background remains a heavy influence, but as he’s progressed, he’s felt increasingly comfortable wading into different genres. Similar to Talking Heads, DeLong strives for a balance of traditional and bizarre. Always thinking outside the box, In The Cards portrays a mindset of offbeat relatability.
The ingenuity of DeLong lies in combining the inflection of electro-pop with indie influences, leading into some cosmic grooves that only a live performance can produce.
DeLong will play at the Majestic on Nov. 10.
