“I’ve just come out of the closet,” Todd Reynolds informs the audience. Utilizing the violin as his main tool, this illustrious artist has been committed to the genre bending of music for the last six years since he “came out” as a composer. Accompanied by fellow musician, programmer and video artist Luke Dubois, Reynolds electrified the Contemporary Arts Forum January 12th in the performance “Still Life with Mic.” Reynolds opened the show by plucking and picking at his violin, producing something at once quirky and beautiful. The music sounded highly synthesized, combining the powerful violin with previously recorded pieces and video projections on the walls. The audience was exposed to Reynolds’s raw, vulnerable emotions, while simultaneously experiencing something completely new.

Dubois remained in the background, quietly amusing himself with the video aspects of the performance. The setting of the show was informal and inviting, and audience members were encouraged to roam about the room. The two artists were highly approachable, open to questions and comments before and after the show. Reynolds and Dubois as a duo were sparkling, however the lighting behind the show space was excessively bright. The lights at the entrance to the Forum and behind the audience members took away from the overall experience of the visual effects, and at times made it difficult to fully appreciate the power of the images. However, the lighting did nothing to diminish the incredible talents presented before the audience; to watch Reynolds and Dubois collaborate was to be drawn into a uniquely inventive sonic space.

At times the performance gave the feeling of watching the two men playing like children, using technology and music as their toys, and what they created was a multimedia odyssey. The video elements displayed along with the music were highly psychedelic; each piece let out visual explosions that left the audience both visually and aurally stimulated. Although the show featured both Reynolds and Dubois, the latter was more subdued in his performance. Reynolds dominated the show, standing out in a fantastic fashion with his innovative music resonating throughout the Forum.

Information about other events coordinated by Iridian Arts is available at www.iridanarts.com.

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