Arts & Entertainment

Her Space Holiday mixes emo with break beats. 

By Cara Sarelli
The Daily Cougar

If music could paint a picture, Her Space Holiday would design a paradise equipped with the sounds of light break beats and soothing vocals, fancy drinks like Cosmopolitans and sun shining through dusty clouds — all in one brushstroke.

California dee-jay Marc Bianchi is the electricity behind Her Space Holiday, which sparks jazz, ambient, emo and other musical tastes and fuses them in to thought-provoking instrumentation.

Bianchi, who owns the Audio Information Phenomena label, has been creating his signature sounds since 1996.

Bianchiis past releases include the Something Blue EP (2000); the Silent Films EP (2000); Manic Expressive (2001); Home is Where You Hang Yourself (2002); the Audio Astronomy (2002) and more. Her Space Holiday has been known to record on several indie labels in the United States as well as London and Japan, but has a permanent place on both New York-based Tiger Style Records and London-based Wichita Records. 

Some may know Tiger Style as being the host of several eclectic indie bands, including its recent addition Broken Spindles, which is the side project of bass-player Joel Peterson, member of famed-Saddle Creek band The Faint.

The Wichita label is also the oversees home of Saddle Creekis Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos. ReThat said, anyone who loved Broken Spindlesi performance at Mary Janeis last August would appreciate Her Space Holiday. Fans of Air, Death Cab for Cutie and the Microphones should also give Her Space Holiday a listen.

A good starter album is Home is Where You Hang Yourself, although all Her Space Holiday releases can be found at www.insound.com

The dual CD contains two programs. Ten original compositions make up the first CD, including the title track. It is the more subdued of the two, with steady, sparing percussion and accents of guitar and strings reminiscent of Beckis 2002-release Sea Change. The second, more danceable but still soft CD contains eight remixes, including an interesting version of Bright Eyesi "Contrast and Compare" from Letting off the Happiness (1998). The CD also features work by Aspera Ad Astra, Duster, Micromars and Novasonic Down Hyperspace. 

Another album to start with is Manic Expressive, although itis much more experimental. 

Bianchi is now touring Her Space Holiday in live performances with his long-time girlfriend Keely. Though the Web site doesnit list Houston dates, he will be making stops in New Orleans on March 12 and in Austin on March 15 and 16. The drive to either show should prove worthwhile.

For more information about Her Space Holiday, go to www.herspaceholiday.com, www.tigerstylerecords.com and w.wichita-recordings.com

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